Beyond Death and Memories
by CrazyCartoonistOtaku
Summary: It's been two months since Ace's death and while the team still tries to cope a new group of villains appear with unknown, but dangerous intentions. But despite all that, the team find themselves more concerned with someone who looks and acts identically to their former leader. SEQUEL TO [THE CHAOS CRYSTAL] SO PLEASE READ THAT FIRST!
1. Chapter 1

**Heyo~!**

**To past readers: How have you all been since I finished the prequel to this? I am pumped to write this, so I hope you'll all be happy to read this! Hopefully it'll be even better than [The Chaos Crystal]!**

**To new readers: Hello! I'm CrazyCartoonistOtaku, just call me Xyla. Thanks for clicking on this story and welcome to [Beyond Death and Memories]! Oh yeah, this story is a sequel to my other story, [The Chaos Crystal], so you really have to read it to get what's going on. If you find that troublesome or anything, it's okay, I understand. But either way, I hope you will love this story, and its prequel in case you decide to read that after all! **

**To everyone: Kyaah~! I'm so happy to be writing a new story! I've worked pretty hard on this after my first story, so this is my second ever posted fanfiction! I know I'm a little overly-enthusiastic but that's what ADHD can do to a person, heheh! I'll be adding OCs this time around, though I don't really want to because I dislike using OCs, but most of them will be very minor and (no offense to them intended) insignificant to the main plot line except for about seven or eight of them at most. Okay now, I'll end the author's notes here and move on to the full summary plus the disclaimer.**

**Full Summary:**

**Two months after the dreaded Chaos Crystal incident which took Ace's life, the team finds that there are a group of thieves, skilled and stealthy ones, were on the prowl, and they were after some pretty important and dangerous items. After a certain scientist gets taken, the team learn that their enemies are a powerful group of six super-powered beings. The team pursues them, but each of them all have negative feelings towards this group. But there is another distraction, and he is greatly confusing the Loonatics, as this distraction is a normal anthro citizen of Acmetropolis, but the problem is that he isn't just being targeted by the group of thieves, he looks and acts exactly like a certain former leader of theirs.**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I refuse to repeat disclaimers, so I DON'T OWN LOONATICS UNLEASHED! WHY ELSE WOULD I POST ON ?! Okay I'm high, sorry. XP **

**P.S After writing the summary, I pretty much gave away what this story is all about didn't I? Haha, oh well, enjoy it anyway! Xyla, out!**

PART ONE: THEFT BEFORE YOUR EYES

Two months had passed since the incident involving the Chaos Crystal. The city planet of Acmetropolis acted as if it was already forgotten, but not its protectors, the Loonatics, who lost one of their members during the last fight of the entire thing. They lost Ace Bunny, the leader of the superhero group. The city held a public funeral for him a few days after the culprit, Chaos Ace, the part of Ace which got possessed by that crystal which Deuce brought into Acmetropolis, separated into another body from the Loonatics leader, was cast into oblivion along with Ace. Practically everyone in the city showed up. The Loonatics were grateful, but after two months when everything had died down already, all of them were feeling pretty empty.

Tech kept making stupid mistakes when inventing new things and when attempting to repair things in the HQ tower. Duck gave up on ever being the one in charge of the team and acted less egoistic. Slam eat less, slept more and often ended up staring at the floor when he was alone. Rev was spending a lot more time with his family members, who had been victims of Chaos Ace but were saved by Ace before any real damage could be done. They didn't even remember why they were all in comas in the Acme hospital when they recovered.

Lexi was taking things hardest. They say that if given time, even the most painful wounds will heal. But was that really true? The female bunny, now the new leader of the Loonatics, didn't believe that. To her, the pain she felt seemed to hurt even more as time passed. Ace was really tight with her, she didn't know anyone else to whom she ever felt so close to. And he was gone. It just wasn't fair.

The others and their boss, Zadavia, were all worried about her as she always looked so down. They knew it would happen, but they never expected it to be so serious. Lexi was able to keep her cool during missions, but once everything was done and the villains were thrown (often literally) into jail, she would rush back to HQ by herself via jetpack to cry in her room. Obviously, the missions were making her miss Ace. It really wouldn't be surprising if she had feelings for him, although that wasn't too clear. In any case, Lexi was definitely going to be down for at least another three months or so, and no one could do anything about that. But all of them knew they had to move on whether they liked it or not. Protecting Acmetropolis was still their top priority.

"Loonatics, we have a problem." Zadavia announced one day, personally delivering the message instead of using the holographic communicator she normally used. That was quite a surprise for the anthro superheroes.

"What's up Zadavia?" Tech asked first, and the Freeling ruler told them to follow her into the HQ's lab. No one questioned the request and obediently followed her in. Once inside Zadavia turned on the computer and inserted a disc into it. At once, reports, both pictures and videos, of the recent mass robberies within the city showed up on screen.

"I believe you are all familiar with these reports?" The Loonatics boss asked.

"Well yeah, Misty Breeze covered the story twice." Duck said, folding his arms. Zadavia rolled her eyes but decided not the make any comment on his tone. It was actually already a lot less annoying and self-centred, which was a cause for worry on its own. The mallard had been badly affected by Ace's death as well. To think he really gave up wanting to be the leader.

"What's wrong with them?" Lexi asked, trying to hide her dread of having to go on a mission again but horribly failing. Everyone else noticed, but said nothing as they knew it would only make her feel worse.

"Well until recently, the robberies have only been those of money from banks, so we left the police to handle them." Zadavia explained, "But then the latest robbery took place at the nuclear plant, which is really bad news. A lot of the technology which was about to be transported to the new research facility was stolen. I've managed to confirm that the robbers are the same as those who only went after money. Which is why I need you all to investigate."

At the mention of the research facility, all the team members stiffened. After all, it was where Ace had first gotten possessed, and it was also the place where he disappeared from their lives forever, as the last fight they had with Chaos Ace had been right there. Their unease did not go unnoticed by the Loonatics boss, as she sighed sadly.

"Loonatics, I know it's going to be hard for you to go back in there," she said, feeling pretty depressed herself with all that had happened. "But you all have a job to do, as the police wouldn't be able to handle this as well as you all can. I'm sorry but…"

"It's okay Zadavia, we understand." Lexi cut in, "Just don't…"

As she trailed off, the Loonatics boss let out another sigh.

"Alright. I won't say anymore. Now you have to head out." She told them, and Lexi nodded her head as she let out a breath and then gave the order to head out. The others all nodded in agreement, then they all left Zadavia to finish up in the lab. She watched them go, remembering the time when she watched the full team of six leave for the final fight with Chaos Ace, only to return as a team of five. Suddenly, she felt a strange pang of emotion on her chest. She gasped, but realized it didn't hurt. It only surprised her. What…was that? Little did she know she would soon find out.

"Ow!" Lexi gasped, feeling a throb in her chest. They had just arrived at the research facility, which was rebuilt just enough so that it was at least appropriate for certain activities within the last two months. At once the rest of the team turned to her.

"Lex, are you alright?" Duck asked with concern. The female bunny nodded, the feeling leaving as soon as it came. She glanced around, wondering what made her feel like that all of a sudden, but nothing in particular caught her attention. Then, Duck yelled the same thing she did at the same time as both Slam and Rev. "Ow!"

"Huh? Are you guys all…OW!" Tech exclaimed as he felt the throb as well. His hand flew to his chest like it did with everyone else. Lexi blinked. Did they just experience the same thing she did? Of course, she asked them.

"Well-I-guess-so-but-why-did-we-all-feel-the-same-kinda-sensation-when-we-walked-in-here-could-there-be-some-sort-of-weird-energy-in-the-air-or-something?" Rev asked but received no answer to his question as the others just looked at each other nervously. That throb was something strange and out of place after all.

"Well, we'll have to check up on it later. Right now we have to go ask the scientists about what they know about the robbery." Lexi suggested. Apparently, the throb at least did some good, as it took her mind off Ace for a while. The others agreed with her, though they weren't any less worried, and the entire team headed for the laboratories. Well, almost the entire team…

A scientist named Richard let them into the labs, and the team was greeted with the sight of many state-of-the-art tech, and the genius coyote in the group was showing his interest, but he was still pondering over the strange throb in his chest, and feeling a little depressed at being in the place where his team leader died, to actually go nuts over the machinery like he normally would've.

"So, exactly what was stolen? We only know that it was nuclear technology." Tech asked Richard as all the other scientists were engrossed in their work, with a few construction workers here and there, repairing the still-damaged areas of the facility. Richard scratched his head lightly, his eyes full of worry.

"Well Loonatics, you aren't wrong, a lot of our nuclear research products were taken." he explained as he led them to a smaller lab, one that could only have at about four or five people researching at a time inside. In fact, it was so cramped Slam was forced to stand outside and wait, much to his dismay. Duck decided to keep the big guy company while the rest went in with Richard, who apologized for the tight space. He told them it was due to his and four others' personal offices were more heavily damaged than most of the other rooms when the crystal that was brought in went out of control. Thus, all five people had to use the only room left, which was really nothing much more than a larger walk-in closet.

"You see, while a lot of our research does not focus on the nuclear energy itself, we need the nuclear technology to carry out other forms of research. Currently, we are working on something to restore Acmetropolis's natural atmosphere, something that hasn't been done in over 700 years." Richard explained, and the present Loonatics looked surprised.

"That-sounds-like-a-really-huge-project-I-mean-there's-air-pollution-to-clear-up-mass-trash-destruction-land…oof!" Rev started to say before Tech clamped his hand down on the roadrunner's beak. Seriously, he had superspeed so it was understandable, but Rev's constant stream of words were really quite annoying sometimes, even if he did slow down a lot since two months ago. Luckily, Richard didn't seem to mind much. Instead he flipped a switch and one of the super-computers whirred to life.

"Yes, it is a very big project," he agreed, nodding his head, "expensive too. But look."

On the computer screen were multiple images of the world from over 700 years before, green earth everywhere and blue skies watching over everything that lived down below. Lexi gasped.

"The world used to look like this?" she asked, and Richard nodded a little sadly.

"We humans and anthros destroyed that world with too much science and pollution, but now, with our superior technology, we may be able to restore it, at least to a certain extent, and recently one of the scientists accidentally discovered a way to clean air using nuclear energy. However, I'm afraid I can't provide you details as that man is a superior, so at the moment, only they know anything about the actual project and planned to reveal it to everyone else once the tech had arrived." He told them with a little remorse. Tech patted him on the back.

"Don't worry. Anyway, who's this scientist? We may have to talk to him to find out what the thieves were after." He asked after reassuring the man. Richard gave him a grateful smile. Then, he told them that the scientist's name was Dr Truman, but he was in the Acme General Hospital, due to the serious injuries he had received in a vehicle accident a week earlier. The Loonatics thanked Richard and left to head to the hospital to find this Tyson guy.

On the way to the hospital, the Loonatics deciding to get there via jetpack as it wasn't too far from the research facility, the team all glanced at each other nervously.

"For some reason, I have a bad feeling about everything…" Lexi commented, her green eyes shifting with unease. Flying beneath her, Rev let out a huge sigh.

"I-know-right-I'm-really-getting-weird-vibes-from-this-mission-for-some-reason." He said, and Slam growl-whimpered in agreement. The Tasmanian devil looked so nervous he looked like he would snap at any second. Duck groaned.

"Jeez, you people are all so superstitious." He said, rolling his eyes with disapproval, though in truth he felt strangely uncomfortable as well. Tech said nothing and was simply lost in thought. He was a little conflicted as to whether he should even participate in the mission, as he had been really confused lately. He kept having weird dreams about something, but he could only remember bits and pieces of them each time, and every time he tried to recall those dreams, everything became fuzzy and his head would start to pound. It was a great annoyance, but it also caused the coyote a certain degree of worry. It made him feel like he was going mad.

"Look, there's the hospital. Let's land." Lexi suddenly said, breaking Tech's train of thought. However, he reacted a little late and Rev only had time to call out the "Te" part in his name before he slammed into a road sign.

"Yow!" he exclaimed as he frantically tried to regain control of his jetpack. He succeeded, but he was dazed to say the least. He shook his head a little and went to land where the others had done.

"Woah-Tech-you-okay-there-buddy-it's-rare-to-see-you-space-out-like-that-and-I'm-sorry-for-being-a-little-slow-with-my-warining-I…"

"Okay Rev I get it!" Tech snapped. The roadrunner flinched. Tech immediately recoiled.

"Ah…sorry Rev. I've feeling a little on edge for some reason." He told his best friend with a guilty look on his face. Lexi looked at him strangely as Duck rambled at him about how "despicably stupid" it was for the group genius to do something like that. Rev and Slam did not comment on that, but it was clear from the looks on their faces that they felt the same way, though they appeared to be a little more worried than the mallard was.

Lexi wondered what made him so distracted. Out of all the Loonatics, distracting Tech had always been hardest. The only way to completely distract him was to bring in some experimental sample he had never seen before, and doing that wasn't easy in a fight, so he was mostly safe. So what would he have to be so caught up by that he would crash into a wall? The female bunny wondered if she should ask the coyote, glancing at him with slight worry. As she did so, however, she suddenly saw Ace standing there in Tech's place. Shock filled her eyes.

"Ac…!" she started to say, but she held herself back as the illusion disappeared and Tech stood there once more. But the coyote noticed the pale expression on the current leader's face.

"Lexi…? Are you…" he started to ask.

"I'm fine!" the female bunny cut off, her gaze turning to the floor they stood on, rubbing her forearms as if it would shield her from something terrible. She didn't need to say anything. The team could already guess what happened. After all, Tech hiding things and Ace not telling anyone else about what he had been worried about on the first day of the Chaos Crystal incident were both factors that led to the Loonatics leader's death.

"Hey Tech," Lexi said softly before they decided to head downstairs to meet Tyson, "You know that if there's something wrong, you have to tell us right?"

Tech was silent for a moment, and then he let out a deep sigh. "Alright, I'll tell you. But right now it's not immediately important so I'll tell you the moment we're done with this meeting okay?"

Lexi didn't seem fully satisfied with the answer, but the coyote had a point. They had a mission to complete. Talking about personal problems would only delay them and there was a risk to someone attacking Dr Truman, in case the thieves were planning something and needed the scientist to help them somehow. So, the female bunny just nodded, agreeing to his terms, then the Loonatics headed down the flight of stairs leading to the wards.

"Man-I-don't-like-this-place-every-time-I-came-here-before-was-to-see-my-Ma-and-Pa-and-Rip-and I-really-didn't-like-seeing-them-totally-knocked-out-and-looking-like-they-were…" Tech clamped his hand onto Rev's beak again, silencing him before he had the chance to say something stupid such as the word 'dead' or remind everyone that his family members had ended up in the hospital because of Ace. It would definitely not make anyone feel better. However, he had been a little harsh on the poor roadrunner, as he had the beak in powerful vicegrip, and Rev found it slightly painful. Plus, it was getting a little had to breathe.

"Tech, that's enough!" Lexi said, noticing Rev's evident discomfort. Tech gasped at his brutality and let go at once. He apologized like crazy to Rev, and luckily the roadrunner forgave him. Still, the coyote felt really guilty, and from then he kept some distance between himself and his best friend. Rev noticed it, but he also knew that if he didn't give Tech his space when he was troubled, the coyote would never get over his worries.

"Well this should be the place." Duck said when they reached a door with the nameplate labelled 'Dr Tyson Truman'. Lexi knocked and called out to the scientist inside, only to be answered with a raspy "Come on in."

Lexi flinched. That voice that had answered her was creepy and sinister. It reminded her of Chaos Ace, but this guy didn't speak with an accent, and he had a much deeper, older voice than Ace. Lexi mentally slapped herself for having thought of the former Loonatics leader. She knew it was just going to distract her if she wasn't careful. She chose to trust her instinct and barged through the door, shocking the others a little as they had not expected such a move. However, their surprised was replaced by horror when they found a strange masked figure before them, holding an unconscious man by the neck against the wall. He was dressed in a hooded cloak and wore light armor beneath it. In his other hand, lying slack by his side, was a long dagger that gleamed despite the limited lighting in the room.

His mask, made of light metal, covered his entire face, with dark blue spiky hair sticking out messily. Through the eyes of the mask, the Loonatics could see a sinister, laughing pair of sapphire blue eyes. When he spoke, his voice was mechanical, clearly disguised with a machine.

"Ah the Loonatics. I expected you to come." He said in that false, raspy voice. The Loonatics all got into their battle positions, but the masked guy's other hand shot out and in less than a split second, the dagger he held was at Dr Truman's throat. At once the team retreated a few steps as they knew for sure that the masked guy would kill the scientist if they made even one small move.

"You're sure smarter than I thought," he chuckled, "sorry, but you won't get to question this guy. My team and I have other plans for him. So see ya."

In one more insanely swift movement, the masked guy swept his cloak out and threw something similar to a smoke bomb onto the floor, where it exploded into a strange, thick indigo fog. Of course, he and Dr Truman vanished after that. Lexi gasped along with the rest.

"How did he…?" she asked, but Slam cut her off by pointing to the floor where the masked guy had been standing moments before. The female bunny looked down to see a card, light blue in color, (jeez what was with that guy and blue?!) and on it, there was some writing and a strange-looking emblem on it. The writing, in neat cursive, said:

'_Stay out of our way. _

_Should you interfere, we, the Blue Guardians, shall show no mercy._

_May we not meet again Loonatics._

_Sighed, _

_Veneficus'_

"What the heck kinda name is that?!" Lexi couldn't help but exclaim after reading it out loud, "And who the heck are the Blue Guardians?! And what's with the blue?!"

"Don't look at me sister. How would I know?" Duck responded uselessly. Lexi gave him a glare.

"'Veneficus'?" Tech repeated, looking thoughtful, "That's 'wizard' in an ancient language, Latin I think."

"'Wizard'-are-you-joking-that-sounds-like-something-kids-would-come-up-with-though-he-did-look-something-like-a-wizard-from-those-awesome-video-games-you-know-with-the-cape-the-mask-and…" Rev ranted before Duck threw an egg at him. The roadrunner shook it off but gave the mallard an annoyed stare.

"Really-Duck-you-had-to-do-that-outta-all-things?" he asked. Duck folded his arms across his chest and huffed.

"Quit acting like idiots! This guy isn't a joke!" Lexi snapped, silencing everyone else, "Come on, we'd better head back. I need to report this to Zadavia ASAP."

Duck grumbled something like "Yeah yeah sure", but the current Loonatics leader didn't notice as she stormed out of the room. However, she didn't get far as a nurse came running by at that moment and crashed into the female bunny, knocking them both down.

"Ow!" Lexi exclaimed, and the nurse got up to help at once, apologizing with a flustered look on her face. She was a feline anthro nurse, something the Loonatics didn't see very often.

"I am so sorry! I was looking for a patient, he just constantly leaves his room and I was put in charge of him since he's an anthro like myself." The nurse said as she pulled the female bunny to her feet. Lexi brushed off some dust that had gotten onto her uniform, and then turned to look at the nurse. She had light greyish fur and striking dark eyes. Her nametag had her name printed neatly in capitals, reading 'Sylene Shorthair'.

"A patient?" Tech asked out of curiousity. Sylene was about to reply, then someone angrily shouted her name. She flinched and another nurse came stomping up to her, looking extremely annoyed.

"I believe I told you that you needed to keep the patient in Number 103 in his room at all times!" she shouted at the feline, who cowered behind Lexi, her ears flattening in her fear. The nurse, a human obviously a senior, gave her a harsh glare.

"Really, it's no wonder Jack always runs out. You hardly seem serious." She scolded. Sylene gave her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, but he's more playful than a newborn kitten. I didn't expect him to play all those tricks on me!" she reasoned poorly. Her senior let out a sigh.

"Alright, then I'll help you look for him. I suppose, since you've only recently started they didn't make the right choice assigning you to him. Come now, we better find him before the doctors do." She told Sylene and took the feline's hand. Only then did she actually seem to notice the Loonatics.

"Oh dear, you must be the Loonatics. I apologize for my junior, and for acting so rudely in front of you." She said as calmly and politely as she could. Lexi gave her a light smile.

"No worries. Well, we'd better get going then." She said. However, Rev offered to stay and help out with the search for the missing patient. Since he was fast it would help the nurses and he would still be able to catch up to the team on their way back to the HQ tower. Lexi granted him permission, then the rest left.

"So-what-does-this-patient-look-like-I-only-know-he's-an-anthro-from-what-you-said-but-you-know-that-isn't-much-especially-if-you-have-a-lot-of-anthros-here-or-something-and-if-I-find-him-but-doesn't-know-what-he-looks-like-it's-not-gonna-help-anyone." Rev asked, sort of, the two nurses, who seemed a little dizzy from his high-speed string of words. The senior nurse got over it faster and adjusted her glasses.

"Well thank you for wanting to help. He's a rabbit anthro actually, and he was brought in here a month and a half ago. He should be easy to find, since he's the only rabbit anthro in the wards at the moment, but he is, as Sylene mentioned, quite playful and energetic, so sometimes finding him is a little difficult." She told the roadrunner. Rev couldn't help but sigh a bit at the mention of a rabbit anthro, but he nodded and told her he would quickly run through the hospital to find him, thought the senior nurse requested that he move slightly slower than usual, so he wouldn't interrupt anyone who was resting. He gave her the thumbs up and sped off.

A short while later, Rev found himself in a hallway, where he tripped on something. He fell and let out a yelp, more from surprise than pain. Then he noticed that there was a slipper on the floor. It was one worn by patients and he thought that someone must have dropped it. That was when he heard the voice. A voice that sounded extremely familiar…

"Oops! Sorry about tat, tat slipper's mine."

Rev froze for a second, then looked up to see an anthro rabbit in front of him, dressed in a hospital shirt and pants. The roadrunner was completely speechless. The rabbit anthro looked identical to Ace, with grey fur and electric blue eyes. Most of all, he had the exact same expression Ace always had when he was enjoying himself. That teasing grin was unmistakable.

"A-A-A-A-Ace?!" he exclaimed, and the Ace lookalike blinked and cocked his head to the side a bit in confusion.

"Um, sorry, but who's Ace?" he asked, speaking in a Brooklyn accent, not different from the former Loonatics leader's. It was unbelievable.

"What-are-you-saying-you're-Ace-aren't-you-but-two-months-ago-you-died-so-how…" Rev was stopped by the rabbit holding his hands up.

"Woah! Whad'dya mean I died? And I'm not dis Ace guy. Da name's Jack, Jack Rabbit." He told the confused member of the Loonatics. Rev blinked. Was the person before him really not Ace Bunny? But how? He looked like a mirror image of the former Loonatics leader, not to mention the way he grinned, the way he spoke. But the logical part of Rev's mind nagged at him, telling him that there was no way the person before him could be Ace. After all, he died, didn't he?

Rev's thoughts were interrupted by Sylene's voice calling. Rev saw her running towards then, and he unconsciously reached out and grabbed Jack by the collar, stopping the rabbit from running away. Jack struggled a little, then muttered something about being caught earlier than usual. Sylene thanked Rev and took Jack's arm and dragged him back to his room. She was stronger than she looked.

"Ah well, see ya Rev!" Jack said as he was taken away. Once he disappeared, Rev dropped to his knees, unable to stand any longer. When Jack said his name, he realized how much he had missed hearing that, Ace saying his name. It was so nostalgic and painful, the roadrunner broke down and cried on the spot.

**Done!**

**Alright! First chapter of this story is done! For the record, I think the title of this story is kinda strange. But it was all I could think of for now. When I think of a better name, I'll change it. Anyway, I wanted to use the name 'Buzz' for the Ace lookalike, but I found that I hated that name, so I ended up changing it to Jack Rabbit, since I liked the pun on the name. XD. And well, the Blue Guardians is actually a group from the manga Rave Master by Mashima Hiro, the creator of the Fairy Tail anime and manga, and I ended up using the name mostly because of the 'blue' theme, as none of the team members are blue in color and I thought a theme color like that for the opposing party would be fun. Hahaha! Oh well, hoped you enjoyed it. But updates will be a bit slow, since I'm getting a little busy okay? Sorry about that and see you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yosh!**

**Alright so far only those who have read my previous story have read this, but oh well! I'm still hyped up and there is no way on Earth, in Heaven or in Hell will you get me to stop writing this. XDXDXD Anyways, there's nothing really much to tell you guys, just that this chapter is totally EMO, probably due to the fact that I've been listening to emo songs lately. I'm not at all an emo person, or at least I try not to be 'cause I want to live life to the fullest, but hey, sometimes emo songs sound better than normal stuff to me! :P Now look at me wasting your time, I'll just quickly go through the review replies and you'll all be off to reading!**

**starskulls: ****Star thanks for the first review! Yay thanks also for your compliments! I'm really glad! Yes, the new team is very…very important. But obviously even you get no spoilers. Mwahaha! I am probably mentally tormenting Rev, as you know I do better with mental/emotional torture. Although, this is toned down by a lot. It is only K+. Keep guessing Star, and keep reading! ^^**

**YiPrincess: ****Yes, I liked the pun. I hated Ace's original name, Buzz, as said on the wiki. So Jack Rabbit came into existence! Well, I don't like OCs either actually, but none of the existing villains fit what I had in mind, so I tried to minimize the usage of them and still focus more on the actual team. I honestly really won't write out scenes with just the OCs and none of the Loonatics or other existing characters, so don't worry too much. Yeah, a lot of the fanfics have OCs as main characters, and due to that I don't read much of the Loonatics fanfictions, as much as I like the show. *sigh* I don't hate Mary Sues or Gary Stues, probably since a lot of anime characters are like that to me. Hey, no matter what the characters are all still OCs of the authors right? XD Moving on, I highly doubt I will turn this into Acexi. I love the pairing too, Yi-senpai, but there are already too many of those fanfics, and I'm not great at writing romance either. Sorry to disappoint!**

**Loonaticslover13:**** Heyo, welcome back! Hmmm, about your theory…I'm gonna have to leave you hanging! Otherwise will scold me again! XD Glad you like the plot, and Lexi's seeing Ace…well I was mostly just going for the 'what happened to Ace before his death' part. I kinda think I know what your idea of 'something else' was, but meh. I doubt it'll happen, sorry. And wow really? I honestly just used Google translate to find out what 'wizard' is in Latin, so you know. Still it's awesome you have a character with the same name! Just plain awesome!**

**naien543: ****Really? Thank you so much! Also for the follow and the favourite! **

**iwolf208: ****Thanks again for the follow! P.S. I love your story [The Comet Cometh Revisited], but I don't think I've reviewed yet since I only found it a while ago…(right after this chapter was posted actually, so yeah, this was part of your reply was edited in :P)**

**Well that's all for now! Get reading!^^**

PART TWO: GRIEF

Rev headed back to the HQ tower only about an hour later. Normally he would fly back in a flash, but after meeting that Ace-lookalike, Jack Rabbit was it? Well, it made him too upset to really think about anything, and for once it made him feel like taking things slowly and he walked back to the tower.

When he arrived back at headquarters, Lexi practically attacked him. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and demanded to know where he had been. Apparently, he had been unconsciously ignoring all the calls coming in from the team to his communicator. He gasped at that, it hadn't been any intention of his at all.

"I...I'm sorry Lexi...I just..." Rev said, speaking at a normal pace. By doing so he shocked the current Loonatics leader, but before she had the chance to ask him what was wrong Rev clung onto her and started to cry like a child who had gotten lost. This intensified Lexi's shock, and she tried to console the roadrunner at once. However, her efforts were in vain. Before long, the rest of the team rushed to the HQ tower's main entrance, as they had seen footage of what was going on from what the video cameras positioned at the entrance captured.

"Rev! Hey, are you okay?!" Tech exclaimed at once. But the grief-stricken roadrunner just shook his head and continued to cry. The team was lost, they had no idea what to do. Thus, without much real thought about it, they led the distressed roadrunner into HQ and let him sit down on the couch in the main room. Zadavia was there, and she had been worried about the youngest member of the group as well. When they entered she rushed to him, surprised to find him sniffing like a little boy. She asked what was wrong when he was seated, but Rev shook his head, unwilling to give a proper answer, at least for a while. He told them, in a shaky voice, that he would tell them soon, but for the moment he wanted a few minutes to think. The team and their boss didn't want to leave him alone there, but eventually most of them gave in and left the roadrunner there to give him some space, all except for Tech.

"Feeling better?" The coyote asked after about twenty minutes of silence between the two. Rev had stopped crying by then, but he kept staring at the floor with a forlorn expression on his face. At Tech's voice, he flinched, as if only just registering that his best friend was sitting next to him, then he let out a sigh before he looked up at Tech, his usually happy green eyes filled with sadness. It was too unlike him.

"Yeah." Was all he said. Tech raised an eyebrow, not being used to Rev speaking so slowly. He put an arm over the roadrunner's shoulders in a brotherly gesture of concern.

"You feel like talking yet?" The coyote asked, "I have to say it's a little strange to see you so quiet." Rev, fidgeting with his fingers, let out another deep sigh and nodded. But he asked if Tech could bring the entire team to the room, Zadavia included, so he wouldn't have to repeat the story. Also, he wasn't sure if he would be able to count on anyone relaying the story for him as accurately, as he was still unsure of everything, and of what he was feeling. Tech was confused at the reasoning behind and request, and the fact that Rev was talking at a normal speed while still possessing his powers was troubling. Still, the coyote knew arguing with Rev was ridiculous at the moment, as it would only make both sides feel worse, especially after the strange burst of aggression Tech had shown towards Rev earlier during the mission, so he called the rest.

Once everyone was seated in the main room, surrounded Rev who didn't feel like standing, the roadrunner started.

"I...I think I saw Ace today." He said, being very slow and careful with his words. However, he wasn't careful enough. After he said those words everyone else instantly shot to their feet.

"What?!" "You can't be serious!" "No way!" "Are you kidding me?!" Were all responses, along with Slam's growls. Rev felt like curling up in a ball and hiding away. He had expected such reactions, but when they actually occurred, he wasn't sure what to do.

"I don't know guys this guy named Jack Rabbit was identical to Ace in looks and act and most of all he had the same grin Ace always gives us..." Rev said, speeding up just enough that he ignored the brief pauses present in a normal talking speed, though it was still pretty slow for him. He took a deep breath before continuing, "When he said my name the same way Ace does with his accent I just...I just...it felt so nostalgic and I realized how much I missed Ace saying my name like that so..."

No one said anything for a while, all of them trying to process what Rev had told them completely. Then, Zadavia spoke with a solemn tone.

"I see. I can understand why you were so upset now Rev," she said, her emerald eyes staring at the floor, "But we all have to accept that Ace is dead. This lookalike isn't him, no matter how similar the two may be. It just can't be him."

"Wait, how do we know for sure?!" Lexi exclaimed, "We never really saw Ace die with our own eyes right? So maybe somehow he had escaped death and ended up in the hospital?"

"I know how you feel about this Lexi," Zadavia said sharply, as if trying to keep her own hopeful emotions under control, "but both he and the elder of the planet Tundrez told us that death is always what awaits anyone possessed! There was never a way out for him!"

"But he did somehow find a way!" Lexi countered, though she hated shouting at her boss, who had always been like a mother to her, "He was able to separate his consciousness wasn't he?!"

"Lexi that's enough!" Zadavia ordered fiercely. Lexi stopped at once. Their boss never used such a tone unless she was absolutely serious but also trying to hide her emotions. "You're now the leader Lexi, and you all have a mission. You can't get distracted with some false hope."

Lexi didn't say anything more, but she looked so disheartened she seemed as if she would burst into tears at any second. Instead, she rushed to her room. Duck followed her and told the rest that he would talk to her and try to make her feel better. Before anyone even had the chance to oppose, though none of them were planning to anyway, the mallard disappeared through the same doors Lexi just ran through. Once both were gone, Tech turned to the Loonatics boss.

"Zadavia, if you don't mind, could we, at least check?" the coyote risked asking, "Make sure that this guy really isn't Ace?"

The stare Zadavia gave him was cold and strict. For a second, Tech was sure she would yell at him or get extremely angry and leave the room as well. But instead, she looked away from the team and let out a depressed sigh.

"You all know that I miss Ace too right?" She asked, without looking at any of the remaining Loonatics in the room. Slam growled something like "Yeah we do" while Tech and Rev just nodded silently. Zadavia lifted her head to look them properly in the eyes, and the three of them were surprised to see traces of tears threatening to fall from her emerald orbs.

"I do wish as much as you all do, that Ace was still with us. But considering everything he told us, there should be no way he's alive. Still...I keep hoping that he's alive, since all of you told me that you didn't see him die. So perhaps Lexi is right." The Loonatics boss said.

"Then why did..." Tech started to ask, but Zadavia cut him off.

"Why did I have to be so strict with her?" She finished, sighing as she did, "We all know she was closest to Ace. I'm afraid that with this lookalike appearing, she wouldn't be able to accept Ace's death anymore and spend her time thinking of this 'Jack Rabbit' and lose her concentration. She's the leader now. She needs to focus."

Zadavia stopped there, turning her gaze away. Then, she took a deep breath.

"Go confirm it Tech. It would be best to know that this person isn't Ace at all. After all, we need to focus on this group of thieves, and based on what you told me, we cannot afford to be distracted." She said, without looking at the coyote. Tech told her he would do so as soon as he possibly could, and with that, Zadavia nodded and stood up. She decided to return to her base, so that she could rest as well as investigate certain things of her own, but Tech suspected that she just didn't want to face Lexi. The two had always been pretty close, as they were both girls, so fighting was something they both greatly hated.

A while after she left the tower, Tech turned to Rev. The roadrunner was being comforted by Slam, as he obviously felt guilty about bringing the case up and causing the fight. He placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder, and gave him a light smile. "You okay?"

Rev sniffed. "I hope so..."

"Please speed up. I'm really not used to hearing you speak the same way I do. It doesn't suit you." Tech told him. Rev managed a half-hearted grin.

"I'll probably speed up soon just give me a while okay?" He requested. Tech nodded, then told Slam to keep him company while he paid a visit to the hospital, telling the two not to let Duck or Lexi know about the trip. They agreed.

Lexi wasn't in her room. Duck was confused for a moment, but then thought of the one other place she would be in. Ace's room. He headed there right away.

Duck stood outside the closed door to the former Loonatics leader's room. He sighed. He hadn't been inside Ace's room since the bunny died. Lexi and Tech had been the only ones who did go inside. Though, Lexi he could understand, but Duck never knew why Tech went in there. The two had been close, as the coyote had been Ace's right-hand man, but they were never that close. Duck had been closer as a friend.

The mallard sighed and pressed his forehead to the wall. He wasn't sure why he did that, but he thought back to the night before the fight, when he and Ace talked a little and played video games together, like two brothers bonding. Duck honestly regretted not spending as much time with Ace when he had the chance, instead wasting his time trying to outshine him. He actually really didn't feel like being the leader anymore, it wasn't an act or an empty promise to the former Loonatics leader. He had been absolutely serious when he said that he'd rather be demoted to an errand boy with Ace still alive than lose Ace and become the leader.

Duck could hear Lexi crying inside Ace's room. She always went in there to cry. Duck knew he would have to go in and comfort her sooner or later, as the recent fight with Zadavia probably scarred Lexi way more than the usual trauma from losing Ace did. Duck wondered why she was so close to Ace. Of course, she and Ace were both bunnies, even with the exact same last name, though that had completely coincidence, as neither of them knew each other at all when they first met and they didn't have similar DNA(Tech was curious). Duck had always thought she was in love with him or something, but it always seemed pretty one-sided. Ace had never showed any overly special attention to her, at least not anymore than the rest of the team. It was a little disappointing, Duck liked teasing Lexi about it but could never do that with Ace.

Duck decided to wait until Lexi's crying died down, and before long it did. He supposed she had been crying so much she had learned to deal with it a little better. With a gulp, the mallard opened the door. Lexi had her back facing the door, seated on the floor and hugging her knees. She obviously heard the door open clearly though, as, the moment Duck stepped inside, she snapped, "What do you want?"

"Jeez sister, do you even realize who I am right now?" Duck asked, trying to lighten the mood a little, though it was sadly a futile attempt.

"I don't care who it is Duck," Lexi retorted, her words tinged with venom. "I just want to be alone."

"Yeah I figured," Duck replied, scratching the back of his head unconsciously, "but still, will you at least talk to me?"

Lexi was quiet for a moment, then she turned to Duck, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. The mallard took a few steps towards her, then sat down next to her on the floor. It would feel far too strange for either of them to sit on Ace's bed.

"...fine. What is it?" The current Loonatics leader asked, her expression of utter defeat not wavering from her face. Duck sighed internally, she had been wearing that expression almost every time they were in the HQ tower. She only seemed to change it on missions, or when the team managed to make her smile just a bit, but that occurrence had become rare, no, more than rare. It was an occurrence that was almost non-existent.

"You know you can't blame the boss lady for this one." Duck said, and Lexi's green eyes narrowed dangerously, but the mallard carried on before she had the chance to say anything else, "Okay maybe she was a little unfair and was way too harsh, but she had a point. Even if we didn't see it, Ace himself said he'd die no matter what. And, I know it's weird for me to say this, but this mission's important and we really have to focus."

By then the female bunny's glare was piercing and deadly. She obviously hated what Duck was saying, but the fact that she didn't retort at once told the mallard that she could understand the reason behind his words. He was slightly relieved at that, as it meant that she didn't lose her rational judgement on the matter. She was probably just refusing to accept the truth of everything completely.

"...I know Duck, I know." She said finally, looking back at the floor of Ace's empty room. All his stuff was still there, but it was empty because no one used the room any longer. It couldn't be. At least not until every single one of the Loonatics got over their former leader's death, and that was going to take a while.

"I...I don't want to accept that Ace is gone. We've all only been a team for a little more than a year and a half, but you guys were all the best friends I ever had. And Ace was...he was...special. He and I...I've never gotten along with anyone so well before." Lexi explained, and Duck reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. He was never good at comforting others, as his arrogant personality always got in the way, but he had never really felt like he had lost something so badly before, so Ace's death made him realize how ridiculous he had been. Duck had always cared about the team even if he didn't show it, the only difference was that he was going to do so from then on.

"Hang in there Lex," he said, "you still have us. We aren't bunny boy, but we're all still your friends. And you're our new leader, so you can't stay down in the dumps forever. It's despicable!"

The current Loonatics leader didn't particularly like the reminder of being the one in charge, but she knew Duck really wanted to make her feel better, so she forced a smile for the mallard. She did want to give him a real smile, something she just couldn't seem to give anyone lately, but even when she tried to she would automatically think of Ace and feel depressed. The truth was, Lexi hated that. She hated how weak she was being, how she was bringing down the team. She knew being depressed for so long wasn't going to help anyone, especially not herself. She knew Ace wouldn't have wanted her to be like that, he wouldn't want her to feel sad any more than the rest. She knew she was being pathetic, acting like a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued even though she was one of those who were supposed to protect a planet. Ace had been strong, choosing to die and stop his evil side instead of living and watching his evil side destroy anything and everything he cared about. He deserved to be called a hero. Compared to him, Lexi felt like the weak cheerleader who could never stand up for herself-the person she once was before joining the Loonatics.

"Thanks Duck," she told her teammate, "I'm sorry I'm so stupid. But I guess I really can't stop myself from being like this just yet."

"I got it. None of us really feel too great these days, but if Ace was here, he'd say something like 'Come on guys, why so serious?' Wouldn't he?" Duck told her. This time, Lexi managed a small smile with the faintest of humor or amusement behind it.

"I guess he would. Then, I should leave the crying for the next time I visit him then." She said solemnly, referring to her visits to his gravesite not too far from his old home from the time when he was still a normal anthro citizen. It also happened to be near a place the team liked to hang out at together, sometimes dragging Zadavia along on their bonding sessions. Those were the days.

Duck nodded. He stood up. "Well I'll get going. Sorry, but I'm not too comfy with his room. I feel like I'm intruding."

"Alright. See you later then."

Tech flew towards the Acme General Hospital on his jetpack as fast as he could. He also remembered that he needed to retrieve their ship from the research facility, as they had left it behind after the incident with the Veneficus guy made them forget about it.

The coyote was actually skeptical of Rev's words. Sure, it wasn't easy to get the hyperactive and overly optimistic member of the team(even more optimistic than Ace had ever been) to break down like that, but Tech couldn't help but look at the more scientific and logical side of the whole thing. He didn't want to think his best friend was lying or just horribly mistaken, but still, he felt that there was no way Ace could be alive.

So why was he bothering to check on the Jack Rabbit guy? Maybe he was also clinging to the empty hopes of Ace being still alive somewhere after all.

Suddenly, Tech felt a sharp pain in his head, and it was so bad it made him lose his concentration while flying. Without thinking he clutched his head and lost control of the jetpack as his hands were no longer controlling the thing. His body swerved and hit a billboard before he landed, hard, on a rooftop not too far from the hospital. He sat up and groaned. The pain was starting to lessen, but Tech was still feeling agonized. He could hear something, something like a familiar voice calling out to him, but he couldn't make out what was being said, nor could he make out why the voice sounded so familiar. Before long the voice faded and the headache subsided. The coyote sat there, dazed and dizzy. He groaned again as he tried to stand.

"What's...what's going on...?" He asked himself, silently hoping someone would just pop out of nowhere and give him the answers he wanted, as illogical as that was.

Tech shook his head. It wasn't the time to be thinking such things. He knew he had to get into the hospital and quickly get a DNA sample from the anthro Rev thought was Ace. The coyote really didn't believe that this Jack Rabbit guy could resemble the former Loonatics leader that much. They say that somewhere in the world there has to be at least one other person who looks almost exactly like you, but the chances of that mirror image being in the same place as you was pretty much one in a billion. So exactly how identical could this Jack Rabbit be? Tech was soon going to find out.

When he was sure he wouldn't be attacked by another splitting headache, Tech took off into the air again, this time managing to safely land on the hospital rooftop. He sighed and removed his jetpack, laying it in one corner. He was about to open the door that led to the stairway into the hospital, but he stopped just before the doorknob, realizing, with a surprised expression on his face, that he was trembling. Why was he trembling? Was it because he was actually scared to meet Jack? Why, Why would he be scared? He was just going t meet him so he could confirm that he wasn't Ace. What did he have to be afraid of?

Tech was asking himself those questions, but he knew he was just trying to hide the truth from himself. He didn't want to accept it, but he knew that he was afraid to confirm it. If Jack did turn out to be Ace somehow, the team would be happy, but there was the issue of why he never returned to the Loonatics even though he was alive the entire two months. Still that could be explained and resolved if it came down to it. But…what if Jack really wasn't Ace? That would mean that the former Loonatics leader was truly dead, dead and gone. Tech knew that that was what he was really afraid of. He didn't want to know that Ace was dead. But he wouldn't accept his fears. Finding out the truth would be best.

Tech opened the door and headed down the flight of stairs. He wasn't exactly sure which room Jack was in, even though he knew which floor, or at least had an idea of which floor it was. Thus, he headed to the receptionist on the first floor. He was considerably surprised to find that the person sitting there at the counter would be Sylene Shorthair's senior, her nametag printed with the words Lyra Sun.

"Oh? You're from the Loonatics." She said professionally, "May I help you?"

"Ah yes," Tech replied, "earlier one of my team members helped that nurse, er, Miss Shorthair find a patient. I was kinda wondering if you could tell me which room he's in?"

Lyra raised an eyebrow and asked why, but Tech only told her it had something to do with a case of theirs and couldn't provide details. She sighed, saying she expected it, then stood up.

"Alright, I will show you to his room." She said, gathering a few things.

"Don't you have to stay here?" Tech asked purely out of curiosity. Lyra shook her head and explained that she was just taking over for the actual receptionist who had to use the bathroom. Coincidentally, that person just returned and she was free to go. Then she led Tech to the third floor where Jack's room was located.

"Do you mind me asking how this patient ended up in the hospital?" Tech asked. Lyra adjusted her glasses and explained that a civilian and found him unconscious somewhere within the city, though exactly where, she wasn't sure. The civilian brought him in and doctors discovered that he had an extremely weak body. He had to receive treatment at once or he would've died. The civilian who found him disappeared after that.

"What about family members? Have you tried contacting them?" Tech asked when Lyra was done explaining. By that time, they had arrived on the third floor and were almost at Jack's room. However, before Lyra could answer his question, the door to his room flew open and the rabbit anthro rushed out in a panic. Sylene appeared behind him with a flustered expression and holding an injection needle in her hand. Jack wasn't looking where he was going, and before Tech really realized what was going on the rabbit crashed into him. They didn't fall like when Sylene crashed into Lexi, but they were both thrown off balance and were both caught by the two nurses.

"Sylene! What is going on?!" Lyra exclaimed as he helped Tech stabilize.

"I'm sorry! He freaked out at the needle! I didn't know he would react like this!" the cat anthro said apologetically. Jack was still squirming, but Tech was more than shocked. Rev was right. He looked identical to Ace.

"Come on Sylene ya know I hate needles!" Jack exclaimed in his Brooklyn accent that matched Ace's perfectly. Tech was at a loss for words. This anthro, Jack Rabbit, was far more like Ace than he ever thought possible.

**Okay!**

**Well the chapter isn't as long as I'd like it to be but I guess it's still pretty long for my standards. Sorry about such a depressing chapter and maybe a little too much of Lyra and Sylene at the end. I really don't like using OCs but really, none of the existing people fit at all. Imagine Mastermind working as a nurse. *shudders***

**But you know, making Jack afraid of needles was kinda fun. I was working on a Loonatics story about each member of the team being forced to face their fear but it turned out horrible so I trashed it, but it made me want to give Jack a comical fear in this one! Haha! Oh yeah, by the way, "Lyra Sun" is a name with relations to a Greek god. Can anyone figure out who? Just a little riddle game right here. I love creating riddles. ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mwahahahahahahahahaha!**

**I'm really really REALLY HYPED UP RIGHT NOW(even though it's midnight for me and I have school later)! But as for why, I can't really tell you guys. Sorry, it's kinda a secret, so I apologize for my craziness today. I think I've mentioned it somewhere before, probably somewhere in this story's prequel, but I tend to write what I feel or else things will become just weird for me. I'm still suspecting that I have weird mental problems…maybe I should see a doctor soon. Either that or it's my nutsy ADHD. Okay, so to prevent any of you awesome people reading this from thinking that I am a complete psycho, I'll pretty much keep the author's note short and move on to review replies…**

**starskulls:**** Hehe, sorry about the spoilers issue Star! Yeah I made Zadavia a little harsh but honestly I think it still fit her original personality fine. She was badly scarred by Ace's death too you know. As for Duck, well I really dislike that arrogant personality of his, makes me wanna punch him all the time, but he's a good guy, talking about both ways here. And I surprisingly like Duck-teammate bonding. Even if I'm making him a little OCC, I like it a lot. ^^ I don't mind needles, I tend to laugh when I need shots, but one of my elder brothers is scared to death by it it seems! XD And by the way, you said "Who doesn't like needles!" So you say everyone likes them huh? (I am such a troll.) Oh and sorry Star, but you're wrong! I said the entire name "Lyra Sun" was the riddle. The answer is below, but don't worry too much! You would've been right if I did only ask for the "Lyra" part. Say "hi" to your brainbox friend for me!**

**YIPrincess:**** Yay! Pun name approved! I'm happy now! I won't be going in about the OCs more than necessary, but I do have some interesting plans for them. I'm really hoping things work out fine with them. I quite like Lyra as a character. She's actually based off my senior who left last year. She helped me a lot and was so understanding and friendly! Like the elder sister I never had! So I had to do it! I agree with you on the villains, and awesome! You're a Batman fan! I never particularly liked the live-action movies but I adored all the animated series like crazy! However Joker scares me, since I have a fear of clowns, but I do agree that he is one excellent villain! Actually a lot of people say I write romance pretty well, but it just isn't me to write about serious relationships since I don't think they're important at all in my current point in life. Maybe I'll like it more in the future but now it's just pointless to me. I still love the pairing though so I'll be dropping plenty of hints. And you are correct! It's Apollo alright, though the instrument is called the lyre. I change one letter to make it sound more like a name. :P Thanks for the favourite and follows too Yi-senpai!**

**iwolf208:**** I'm so happy you reviewed! I love reviews and I am so grateful! ^^Hoho, you enjoy this story? That's so great! I do have quite a lot of ideas, so many I'll never be able to use them all, but about 80% is lame so it's fine. I really like the group name, and I thought it'd be fun for there to be a blue theme since none of the Loonatics are blue. That was the main idea. Hahaha, unfortunately I am disallowed to provide spoilers or will punish me again because he detests spoilers. XD But you have some interesting theories, so read on and find out what will happen! I improved? AWESOME NEWS! I was afraid I'd be stuck at amateur level forever! I'm making progess! WOO! Of course I won't let OCs take over, if I wanted that I'd write an original(I'm working on a short one thought). I just hope I'm using them right. Hehe, don't worry about reviewing too much. As much as I love reviews I don't want to force you guys into reviewing. I don't mind not seeing reviews sometimes, but if you're willing to review at least once I'll already be a very happy girl!**

**Happy-Red-Rabbit:**** AWESOME NAME! I laughed when I saw this, not because it's funny, but because it just wants to make me laugh! XD Thanks for the story favourite and please enjoy the rest! If you haven't read the prequel though, you should go read that first so you'd understand the plot better! **

PART THREE: VUNERABLE

Jack raised an eyebrow, his electric blue eyes full of confusion, yet there was also a hint of childish curiosity in them. Tech could see none of the familial concern Ace would normally express when a team member was distressed. And the coyote knew that Ace wasn't the type to hide his true emotions unless it was absolutely necessary. He had always been a pretty lousy actor despite being a stunt double before becoming the leader of their superhero team. So if he had been faking that confused curiosity, Tech should have been able to tell.

"Uh hullo?" Jack said, waving his hand in front of Tech's face, interrupting his train of thought. He blinked as his muddled mind sorted itself out and started functioning normally again. "Are ya okay d'ere? Ya look like ya just seen a ghost or somethin'?"

"Ah, no. Sorry." Tech replied, feeling slightly embarrassed, "You just look a lot like someone I used to know. I guess the resemblance startled me quite a bit."

What he said wasn't a lie, though for some reason Tech felt bad about hiding the more important bits and pieces of the truth. Fortunately for him, the rabbit anthro seemed to buy the explanation, as he nodded.

"Awright d'en. Now if ya'll excuse me..." Jack said, then tried to discreetly sneak out through the door, something Tech almost missed somehow. Sylene, however, caught on at once and in one swift movement, her hand shot out and grabbed the collar of the rabbit's hospital shirt. Jack struggled a bit, but gave up after a few seconds.

"Man, ya may be shy Sylene but yer really a lot stronga d'an ya look." He commented with an impressed expression, but the tone he used was so thickly laced with arrogance it was hard to tell if he was complimenting her or just trying to mess with her. It didn't really sound sarcastic, just arrogant. Tech felt a sharp throb in his chest at that, but this one didn't cause him pain like the one he experienced with the rest of the team. No, that particular throb was one he was actually familiar with. It happened whenever he felt a rush of anger or hate.

Tech normally never felt too strongly about anything, but he was actually the one who hated Ace's evil copy, Chaos Ace the most. They all resented the possessed bunny, but Tech's hate for the cruel, sadistic version of Ace was a lot more intense than all of the others' combined. Tech himself had no idea why he felt like that. He had tried to control it, but every time he thought of Chaos Ace, he wanted to punch a hole into something. He didn't do anything of the sort yet, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before he did. What happened with Rev earlier was an example. He had been too harsh on the roadrunner when he almost mentioned Ace's death out loud. That had been the result of the reminder of Chaos Ace. And Jack's arrogant tone and Ace's face reminded him of the possessed bunny yet again. For a second, all Tech could see was red, but he managed to control himself before he did something he knew he would regret. It helped that Lyra tapped him on the shoulder to get him to snap out of the trance he had apparently been in.

"Are you alright Mr Coyote?" Lyra asked, and Tech let out a sigh and allowed his muscles to relax.

"Yeah I'm sorry. I've just been a little stressed." He replied, again choosing to simply hide the truth instead of lying. Lyra looked skeptical but she didn't say anything more on the subject, other than a quick "alright". Jack suddenly yelped, as Sylene gave him the shot. He seemed close to whimpering as he rubbed the spot where the needle penetrated his skin, covered up nicely with a medical patch. He was muttering something to himself, but Tech couldn't really hear his exact words. Suddenly the coyote didn't want to he near him at all. It was a strange feeling, but he felt like Jack Rabbit was definitely not the Ace the team had lost two months ago. He probably seemed like Ace to Rev because the roadrunner could have been too shocked to see such a similar face he got confused. The real Ace would never act so childish, he would never have the kind of arrogance and apparent selfishness Jack had. Tech wanted to get out of that room as soon as he possibly could. He didn't want to even bother confirming things anymore, there was no way Jack Rabbit was Ace Bunny.

"Please excuse me, I have other things to attend to." Tech said, and turned to leave. But before he reached the door, Jack yelled something at him.

"Hey Tech, leavin' so soon?" He asked, a little louder than necessary. However, Tech immediately felt what Rev had felt earlier when Jack said his name. There was something about the way he said that one word that was more familiar than anything. The coyote spun around and gripped Jack by the shoulders. The rabbit anthro jumped, he did not expect that at all.

"What was that?!" He demanded with an unusual tone, a mixture of shock, disbelief and a little bit of hope. Jack blinked, looking shocked himself. Lyra and Sylene were also taken aback, but then again, who would expect a superhero coyote to react that way to a simple question asked by someone who was hospitalized?

"Er...Did, did I say somethin' wrong?" Jack managed to asked, slight fear in his electric blue eyes, "Is it cuz ya dun like me sayin' yer names? Re...Y-Yer other team memba was pretty shell-shocked when I said his..."

"What?!" Tech exclaimed, and Jack freaked for a second, "Ah...? N-No...you didn't say anything wrong. I'm sorry, I'm just really on edge these days...I don't know why I acted like that..."

"I really should go. I apologize for the trouble I caused." The coyote concluded, then he turned back towards the door, releasing his grip on Jack's shoulders, and ran out, simply wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. He got to the roof in record time, a time that would've made Rev proud. He slammed the door behind him and leaned against it. He sank to the floor a few minutes later.

The headache returned, and the sharp throbbing in his chest did too. Tech clutched his head tight with one hand, the other clutching his chest. He collapsed, his entire body shaking with the pain as if he was on fire or maybe being electrocuted. What was going on, what was going on?! Not only did he feel a powerful surge of emotion by meeting Jack, but the two pains that had recently been tormenting him interchangeably both decided to ambush him together?! That wasn't natural. Something or someone was doing it to him, and it was highly likely that the rest of the team were being targeted too.

The muffled, blurry voice came again without being any easier to listen to, but Tech was suffering so much he could barely hear anything anyway. His head hurt very badly, and his chest tightened with each second. He wanted to scream but his throat felt too dry. At that moment, he felt helpless, vulnerable to anything the world would throw at him. It was a horrible feeling.

As usual, the pain subsided as soon as it came. Tech lay there panting and trying to regain his composure. Then, the door to the staircase opened and Lyra stepped onto the rooftop. She was startled to see the coyote on the floor and instantly helped him sit up. She asked him if he was okay and he just sighed. He didn't want to lie to anyone, even if Lyra was someone who he only just met a while ago.

"Why'd you follow me?" He asked her, and she shrugged.

"You were interested in my patient. And while you said you wouldn't give details I would like to know why. Besides..." Lyra trailed off for an moment then continued.

"I want to apologize if Jack upset you in any way. He may be acting childish for his age, but I assure you there's a good reason for that." She told him. Tech raised an eyebrow and asked what she meant. She had a bit of a guilty look on her face, but she chose to explain.

"The truth is, Jack has complete amnesia." She said, and Tech's eyes widened significantly.

"Am...Amnesia?" He repeated, saying the word slowly and carefully as if it were a nuclear bomb about to explode in his face. Lyra nodded.

" He was in an unconscious state when he was brought in, as I mentioned earlier, and when he finally woke up, he couldn't remember anything. Not even his real name. The name 'Jack Rabbit' was actually given to him by me, after Sylene and I were assigned to take care of him." She tile the dumbfounded coyote, "He was really scared and traumatized by something even he couldn't identify, so he wasn't very trusting at first. We managed to reach an understanding and he recently developed his childish, mischievous personality. However, he still occasionally has these...episodes, when he screams and yells about things that made no sense to us, only to pass out and not recall anything afterwards."

Tech's jaw dropped as a strange feeling of amazement, fear and once again, disbelief, filled him. He gulped, wondering what to make of the things Jack was going through. The scenarios seemed to match with what Ace had suffered during the first stages of his possession before, when Chaos Ace locked his memories of how he got possessed and such, when he would start having bizarre panic attacks when his friends were in danger, only to forget everything when he regained his senses after losing consciousness for a short period of time. Tech was bewildered. What could all of that mean? Tech was sure that Jack wasn't Ace minutes ago, but after hearing what his nurse told him, he wasn't sure anymore. The strange personality could possibly the result of the memory loss brought on by the trauma of almost dying, then the fact that he was suffering from something similar to Ace before, there could be some traces of the crystal's energy lingering inside his body and causing him to feel what he was feeling. Why didn't Tech even think of the possibility of Ace losing his memory anyway? He had probably been too anxious to know if Ace was alive or not. He decided to confirm it after all. However, he was actually still uncomfortable about meeting Jack again, so he decided to ask Lyra instead. But first...

"...I...I see." He said, and Lyra asked him if he was okay as he had apparently gotten really pale. He told her he was alright, then made his request. Lyra didn't look too happy about him asking for a blood sample from Jack, but for some reason she agreed after a few seconds. Tech had to say he was surprised, he had expected a little more reluctance from her. But since she didn't argue, he didn't want to start a potential argument, so he just thanked her and asked if she could send it over to the Loonatics HQ tower by that night. She agreed to that as well.

"I'm sure I've figured out why you're so interested in him, yet so distressed." Lyra commented as she and Tech both stood up, "Your team leader who died a while ago, Jack reminds you of him doesn't he? I've heard him speak on TV before, they do sound similar. And their eye colours match too. I suppose that was why your other team member was so shocked upon seeing him."

"You're pretty observant. And I guess you may be right. I'm sorry, we're all still trying to cope, and with Jack, someone who looks a little similar, appearing, I guess we just wanna make sure our leader is gone or not." Tech admitted. He turned away from her, so he didn't see the understanding smile on her face, but he didn't need to.

"Don't worry too much." Lyra said, "I don't think Jack is your leader, but sometimes it's nice to have a distraction. I'll send over the blood sample later, but if charges are pressed against me you'll have to answer to them. I'm not joking."

Tech managed to chuckle. He thanks Lyra again, then picked up his jetpack and got ready to fly. He waved to the nurse before he took off, then headed back to the tower, hoping the nurse would keep her word about bringing the blood sample. Tech wondered what the results would be. He sighed. He couldn't remember the last time he felt uncomfortable with having to do an experiment of any kind.

Lexi decided to get away from the tower for a little while. She had no idea Tech had gone to the hospital. She definitely had been thinking of going herself though, to see this Jack Rabbit for herself, but something was stopping her. What if Zadavia was right and that Jack Rabbit really was no more than just a lookalike, and that her best friend was without a doubt, gone forever. She still did not want to accept any of it, wishing and wishing terribly that she could go back in time and change things. She could, with Dr Chroniker maybe, but she knew that the old time expert would probably have a problem about that. After all, he said that time should not be altered unless the situation was dire, and as much as Lexi wished it was, she knew it wasn't really that important. She hated herself for thinking so, as she felt like she was letting Ace die. She hated that, and wanted nothing more than to cry again, but she had dried out her tears for the week in Ace's room earlier.

Lexi honestly thought that she was bring ridiculous, acting like a spoiled brat who couldn't let go of the past. She was able to move on with a lot of things in life before, having faced a harsh life in school before she became a member of the Loonatics. But she just couldn't seem to move on with the current situation. She felt empty, depressed, pathetic. She felt like there was no reason to even live anymore.

Lexi slapped herself. That was a stupid thought. She was being selfish, the team and Acmetropolis needed her. If she died as well the team would probably be devastated beyond repair in the worse case scenario and disband, leaving the city vulnerable to the villains and other external threats. She couldn't let that happen, not after Ace sacrificed himself for both. She had to move on. She had to stop being so selfish. As she thought about all this, she didn't realize exactly how much time she was wasting and hours passed as she wandered around Acmetropolis.

"Are you alright?" A familiar sounding voice asked, and she turned to see Lyra Sun next to her. She jumped, not at all expecting the nurse.

"Y-Yes. I'm fine." She answered, her eyes looking down as she felt a little nervous for some reason. Lyra looked like she wanted to ask something more on the subject, but she dropped it in the end, something Lexi felt secretly grateful for. Instead, she asked if Lexi could lead her to the Loonatics HQ tower. Of course, Lexi, knowing nothing about Tech's visit, didn't know why and had to ask. Lyra looked surprised, but before ten seconds was up she sighed.

"Has your teammate not told you?" She asked, "Earlier, when he, the roadrunner called Rev, helped us find our patient, he seems to have forgotten to bring something back. I thought I would return it to him."

"Oh, really? I could give it back to him if you'd like." Lexi offered, but Lyra calmly shook her head, though she did seem like she was hiding something somehow.

"No, that's fine. I would rather give it to him myself, and I would also like to thank him personally for helping us." She reasoned. Lexi didn't feel too comfortable, but she didn't argue with the nurse. She didn't have the strength to do so after being depressed for a few hours. Since she finally realized how late it was, she decided that she needed to head back anyway, so she took Lyra with her.

While they walked the two chatted a little, so as to ease any awkwardness between them. Lexi had actually strayed pretty close to the hospital, so the walk back would take about an hour. The current Loonatics leader personally felt really stupid for not knowing where she was going the entire four hours she had been out. Fortunately nothing happened, but had the Blue Guardians of any other threat appeared, she'd have some some pretty serious problems.

Maybe she shouldn't have jinxed that.

Suddenly a spear longer and heavier than she was struck the ground next to her and Lyra. The two jumped back, horrified expressions on their faces. Other civilians nearby started screaming and panicking, running away before they were struck. A lone figure was standing not too far from them, dressed in light metallic blue armor. That figure had a mask on, blue like Veneficus's. Lexi could tell at once that he was one of the Blue Guardians at once, even if he did look like something out of a child's medieval-themed coloring book.

"Hobo, I missed." He said, his voice deep and intimidating as he took several steps towards the two. Lexi pulled Lyra back, not wanting the nurse to get involved, as the figure approached them. Up close, he looked huge, with a sturdy muscular build which probably rivaled Slam's. That alone was scary enough.

Lexi backed away with Lyra, who was shaking, but managed to keep a relatively calm look on her face, as the armored man yanked his spear out of the ground with astonishing swiftness.

"I am Bellator of the Blue Guardians, and the queen has sent orders to annihilate you pesky Loonatics. Prepare for your death!" The armored man announced, then rushed towards Lexi with his oversized spear. The female bunny pushed Lyra out of the way and jumped as high as she could, dodging the first strike. However, the small victory wasn't to last. Bellator jumped and attacked again with speed that should have been impossible even for Rev. He hit her with the butt end of the spear and she hit the ground extremely hard. She wasn't too high so it wasn't a lethal fall, but all at once several jolts of severe pain shot though her body and she wanted to scream as if she was being torn apart. However, she didn't even have the time to do that as Bellator attacked again, and she only just managed to roll out of the range of this spear head. She somehow got to her feet, but even though she wasn't bleeding by some miracle, she was experiencing physical pain beyond what she initially thought would have killed her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She yelled at him, gasping after those words left her throat.

"I repeat: the queen has ordered it." He said, and got ready to attack yet again.

"What for?! What do you want?!" Lexi exclaimed, "And who is this "queen" of yours?!"

"That isn't for you to know. Just die before me and allow me to finish my mission." Bellator said calmly, speaking like he jumped out of some medieval story himself. He rushed at her, slower than before, but still fast enough to catch her off guard. He managed to hit her again, but she moved enough so that she wasn't knocked down a second time and released a powerful brain blast at him. He obviously hadn't expected it for some reason and it hit him square in the chest, and though it did little more than faze him, it was enough of a distraction for Lexi to run away. Fortunately there were a lot of buildings in the area and she easily found an alley to hide in. At once she called for help, but to her dismay and horror she found that her communicator had been smashed. She couldn't call her teammates and she knew she wouldn't be able to take on such an opponent on her own. All she could do was run away and hope she would be able to get back to the tower.

However, the sound of huge footsteps not too far away was getting closer and closer, and before long the spear was thrust near her feet. The metal gleaned dangerously, and Lexi caught a glimpse of one word printed on the blade of the spearhead. But it was pulled away before she could fully register the word. Only one thought really filled her head right then, the crazy armored guy had found her and there was nowhere to run.

"You've surprised me, but don't think I'll be stopped." Bellator said, looking angry and much more menacing, probably due to being distracted by her. Lexi got up to run, but suddenly her legs both cramped and she fell. She cursed internally looked up, her fear increasing by the second as Bellator held the spear directly above her, then brought it down.

**Hey! **

**So sorry for the really, really awful cliffhanger! But I really couldn't resist! I got so into writing it got way more intense than I planned and I really didn't want to change it! I originally intended for the chapter to be more emo as well, but I was thinking that I'll make you people depressed if I carried on, so I added some action, though not much because it's hard to work with a distress female bunny who's unarmed against an armored thug with nothing but her brain blast and gymnastic skills. I'm not saying they're lame, but my OC has armor. His name means "warrior" in Latin, so I wanted to call him "knight", but I preferred the sound of "Bellator" instead of "Equitem". These are only from Google Translate tell me if I'm wrong please. I wanted to use Japanese but Loonatics Unleashed is a western show so I thought it'd be just a little unfitting. So ta-da to Latin names! WHEE! Now I must leave and get some sleep. See you! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Uwaah…**

**I only get two reviews this time?! Aw…! …ah well. Just means I gotta work harder to get people to like my story. I've got two things to apologize for though, one is that I'm sorry I'm late for about two weeks maybe? I've been unfortunately busy with schoolwork as the first semester exams are coming up. Not a good thing. I just know I'm gonna fail a whole bunch of subjects and everyone I know will yell at me. -.-" The second apology is for the fact that I may have over-used my OC Lyra in this chapter. As previously mentioned, she is based off a senior whom I admire a lot so I can't help but like her considerably. She isn't gonna play too big a part in the main plot, but still…well, to make up for it(sort of), I've added something exciting at the last part of this chapter!^^**

**Review reply time:**

**starskulls:**** I apologize so much for being busy enough to almost neglect your emails on top of being late for the chapter update. I told you before, I both love and hate cliffhangers. Pretty much all chapters will end with them unless they aren't necessary. Although I think that's probably what keeps my chapters limited to 5000+ words. It's little in my opinion. I'll ask you about the needle tale next time. Jack'll have to wait because he's kinda useless in this part of the story, but you'll get your answers soon. Hahaha yes Bellator is a good fighter. I actually checked up a lot on his style of spear-fighting before I posted as I wanted to do something more traditional in contrast to the always-futuristic aspect of the show. I was aiming for irony, heheh. Obviously Lexi won't die I'm keeping this story as close to the real thing as possible while still fitting my own stuff. Enjoy reading this one, I worked pretty hard on it! Hoho, think you've found a clue? Good luck! ^^**

**YiPrincess:**** Thanks for the review Yi-senpai! Yep yep, Bellator is a good name to me, I liked it at once! I actually used Latin(courtesy of Google Translate) for all the names of the Blue Guardian members. You'll have to read on to find out what they are! Well here's her character. Lyra's more fun to write about than I thought. I was planning to use Sylene at first but then Lyra just seemed to fit more. I love cartoons and anime so much! I just can't resist them! But Joker scared me so much…I had nightmares for a week. T^T I enjoy jumpscares but nothing gory for me please! I don't like overly insane villains, but I have to say the voice actors, writers and other people involved in their creations are geniuses. So true about Acexi. I like mild romance. Anything more than that is just too much for me. Oh well. Time for you to get reading! **

PART FOUR: NARROW ESCAPE

Just before Bellator managed to skewer her, something hit him and prevented him from striking Lexi. The female bunny was surprised and looked up to see Zadavia standing over her, rage filling her emerald eyes.

"You lay another finger on Lexi and I swear you will regret it!" The Loonatics boss yelled ferociously, charging up another powerful energy blast in her hands before firing it at the Blue Guardians member. The armored man's eyes widened beneath his mask, and held up his spear to block, but to his shock the energy actually curved and struck him from the side. He grunted loudly in pain and found that Zadavia's energy beam had actually singed his armor pretty badly, and the metal was burning against his bare skin underneath. However, his endurance was impressive, as he did not even bother to remove the offending piece of armor, getting up to charge at the Loonatics boss instead. She flew up, shooting another beam of energy downwards. This sent him to the ground, the same thing he had done with Lexi, who couldn't help but feel glad he went through it too. Still, he rose quickly and threw his spear at Zadavia, who was still in the air.

"Oh no you don't!" Lexi exclaimed, firing a brain blast at the space just barely in the way of the flying spear. She was fatigued, so she missed the actual target, but hit it just enough that its course was interrupted and it swerved a little before losing its momentum and plummeted to the ground. Zadavia could have easily dodged that, but she was grateful for the female bunny's help. She flew down a little lower then Bellator saw his chance to attack. He swiftly reached out and grabbed Zadavia's leg and swung her around before he finally threw her into the side of a nearby building. She yelled out in pain and dropped to the ground.

"Zadavia!" Lexi shouted, and she forced herself up to help her boss. She rushed to the Freeling ruler's side and was mortified to see that she had been struck right where she had been badly injured two months earlier. It was a wound caused by Chaos Ace, and until he died, with the real Ace, there was no way for the wound to heal completely. That had been the proof of both theirs deaths back then. Still, the sound did take some time to fully heal, Zadavia only recovered from it less than a month ago, so the area near her waist was still quite weak. With Bellator's attack and her impact against the wall, it became a huge blue-black bruise with many tiny cuts surrounding it, so blood leaked out in drops.

"Zadavia! Zadavia hang on!" Lexi yelled, but then Bellator appeared behind her and grabbed her by the neck and held her up. She struggled to breathe, and black spots were clouding her vision.

"Let...Let go of her!" Zadavia shouted, shooting a concentrated beam of energy at the Blue Guardian member, knocking him off his feet. He gasped and released Lexi, but at that, Zadavia lost consciousness with a strangled gasp. She had used up all her remaining energy in that. Bellator was getting up again, and Lexi was in a serious dilemma. She knew she had to get her boss out of there, but Zadavia wasn't the only one injured. Lexi had plenty of harsh injuries and they were wrecking turmoil on her body. She could barely stand, and after Bellator tried to crush her windpipe, she couldn't even breathe easily. Worst of all, she couldn't call for help. And Bellator had gotten to his feet.

"I'm impressed. Not many survive me for long even with help." He told her, sounding sincere with what he said, "But time is running out. I must complete my mission."

He ripped his spear out of the ground for the second time that day. He got ready to strike her, and for the second time Lexi prepared for the worse. She silently apologized to the team and Zadavia for being so useless, and she apologized to Ace for failing to do her job as the new leader.

What happened next was completely unexpected.

The sound of a car horn interrupted the Blue Guardians member's swing just as a police vehicle rammed into his side. The sudden assault itself shocked him more than the fact that someone hit him with a police car and that he could've sustained serious injuries despite his armor, which was actually lighter and thinner than it looked. Once he was down the driver's door opened and Lyra stuck her head out.

"Ms Bunny!" She called loudly, "Hurry and bring your friend in! I'll take us to your tower!"

Lexi got over her amazed shock when she spoke, and reacted immediately, ignoring any pain she felt as she dragged Zadavia into the police car's backseat and got in herself as she was afraid rushing to get to the front seat next to Lyra would waste precious seconds. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and Lyra floored the gas pedal, speeding off without any care for the other vehicles on the road. Fortunately there was barely any traffic.

"Lyra how did you...?!" Lexi asked, but a sharp pain in her chest prevented her from saying anything further. The pain didn't come from the fight earlier, it was familiar, the same pain she felt when she was heading to the hospital even earlier in the day, to be felt by her teammates as well. But Lyra didn't know that.

"Don't speak, you're badly wounded." She said, "As for the car, well, I'm not too bad a driver but I left my own car at the hospital, so I had to grab the nearest one. I'd probably go to jail for this though..."

Lexi almost laughed and cried at once. Laughed because the way Lyra said it, it was as if it were a joke and a good one at that, and cried because she felt touched that the nurse would risk going to jail on top of putting herself in danger by going into the fight for someone she barely knew. But she didn't have time for either. She knew how fast Bellator could move. It was only a matter of time before he caught up even though the police car had a speed of 15 kilometers per hours, which was way more than the speed of a normal human. It was even too much for most anthros, and it seemed possible Bellator was one.

"Ms Bunny please tell me if I'm going the right way!" Lyra exclaimed suddenly, breaking Lexi's chain of thought. She looked outside and saw that the nurse seemed to had gotten lost, as she couldn't see the Loonatics HQ tower anywhere. She couldn't see Lyra's face, but she could tell the nurse was nervous.

"It's fine. Head back towards the hospital then I'll tell you where to go from there." Lexi suggested. Lyra was mortified, but somehow managed not to look back at the female bunny, and considering their insanely reckless speed, that was fortunate.

"But that monster is...!" She protested, but Lexi cut her off.

"I know, but it's better than getting lost here!" She reasoned. Lyra sighed and gave in, turning the car sharply, nearly running into truck. Suddenly they heard the sound of sirens and Lyra groaned.

"Oh no, looks like the police caught up with me..." She complained as if that was the main problem. Of course, the police were a dangerous obstacle. If they stopped her and questioned her, no matter where they were in the city, Bellator would probably find them. Lexi felt weird acting like a criminal, but there wasn't much of a choice, they couldn't get caught. It was too much of a risk.

"Never mind them! Just go!" Lexi exclaimed and Lyra scoffed a little.

"I had no intention of minding them. I stole their car for a reason and until I'm done with it they aren't getting it back." she joked, giving Lexi a smile through the rearview mirror. The female bunny smiled back, though she still couldn't shake the panicked feeling she had. Next to her, Zadavia groaned, and she slipped from her upright position a little. Lexi caught her before she could fall and laid her boss's head on her lap. She scolded herself mentally. She should've done that in the first place, considering the speed they were moving at. Zadavia could've gotten more injured than necessary. Why had she been so stupid?

"Lexi!" Lyra suddenly shouted her name, snapping the current Loonatics leader back into reality. Apparently, Lyra had been trying to get her attention for a few minutes already. How the heck did her worry for Zadavia last that long even though she felt as if it had only been a short second?

"I apologize for using your first name but I really need some directions!" Lyra exclaimed with panic rising in her tone. Lexi was confused as to why she seemed so panicked all of a sudden, but then a glace at the rearview mirror gave her the answer. Bellator was right behind them, and he was gaining.

"What?! How?!" The female bunny exclaimed in utter disbelief. She felt her own heart beating like an out-of-control metronome, and suddenly that strange pain shot through her chest again, that same, mysterious pain. This time, she yelled out. Lyra was so shocked she nearly stopped the car, but she was fortunate that she was level-headed enough to not do so. Bellator was getting even closer, and the police car couldn't move any faster.

"Ms Bunny?! Lexi?! What's wrong?!" Lyra yelled, trying her best to ignore Bellator and focus on the road, but hearing the current Loonatics leader yelling out due to some unnatural pain scared her. She wanted more than anything to help her herself, but the only way she could do that was to successfully get them all to safety first. But with Lexi unable to tell her which direction the tower was, due to the many overly tall buildings in the area, it would be an extremely difficult task. Then, Lyra saw something in the sky. It was Slam, flying on his jetpack.

With much thought or hesitation Lyra threw her hand down on the car horn, hoping to catch the Tasmanian devil's attention before he got too far. She couldn't see through the roof of the police car, so she had no real way of knowing if it worked. She repeated the action a few more times, then, without warning, a huge weight landed on the car roof. At first, Lyra was sure it was Slam, but to her horrified dismay, a spear head shot right through the metal. It was Bellator.

"Lexi hold on!" Lyra screamed as she slammed her high-heeled foot down on the brake pedal and the car came to such and abrupt stop the Blue Guardian member was thrown right off, giving a yelp of surprise, though his spear remained in place. However, both Lexi and Zadavia were thrown against the backseats and the impact seemed to knock them both out completely. Lyra desperately hit the car horn again, praying to every god she knew of, even if she didn't believe in them, that Slam would hear and that they would all be okay. As she watched, Bellator got to his feet, and Lyra was forced to make a run for it. She couldn't worry about whether Lexi and Zadavia were alright even though she really wanted to. Getting away was much more important.

However, Bellator was quicker this time. He caught up to the car at a breakneck speed and was once again on its roof. The spear was removed and through the hole Lyra could see that he was going to strike again, and he wasn't intent on missing a second time. She stopped her car again, but Bellator wasn't stupid and somehow hung on. He clearly wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice. Lyra felt her panic and fear rising. There was no way to escape now.

Suddenly another crash in the roof sent Bellator flying right off. Lyra jumped, as she had forgotten Slam was in the area. The Tasmanian devil bent down to look her her through the windscreen and the nurse gestured to her two unconscious passengers behind her with a sharp tilt of her head. Slam's eyes widened for a second, then he nodded. He took off just as the Blue Guardian member was getting up, and he slammed right into him. Bellator grunted with shock, but Slam wasted no time and turned on him, spinning like a mini-tornado with full force. He growled something at the armored man, who looked greatly offended.

"How dare you mock me! You shall pay for your insolence!" Bellator shouted and charged at him with the spear, but fortunately for Slam, that turned out to be the stupidest move he made all day. The straightforward attack was one without tactic or hesitation. All Slam had to do was step to the side just a little then he actually managed to grab the weapon and, to Bellator's shock, he was able to snap the shaft of the spear in half, tossing the spear head away, then rushing in with a powerful punch right in Bellator's face. The Blue Guardian member was so overcome with the shock of seeing his prized weapon destroyed, he stood no chance. He was thrown harshly to the ground, and he had a look of utter defeat on his face. He turned to look at Slam in the eye.

"You have bested me this time. I shall retreat," he said, "but know that next time I will spare nothing to defeat you all and fulfil my mission." With that said, he disappeared in a burst of light, momentarily blinding Slam.

That being handled, even if it did confuse him, Slam turned his attention back to where Lyra was, and found the Acmetropolis police questioning her fiercely. They were just about to handcuff her when Slam called out and, in a series of growls and grunts, demanded that she be let go at once. He pointed to the inside of the police car, seeing the confused faces of the officers, who clearly didn't understand a word of his language and didn't look inside the car. He felt frustrated. He never particularly liked being around the city on his own as he always had trouble communicating with the humans in the city. Most anthros understood him enough to make out what he was saying, but the anthro population wasn't too large anyways. Only the team understood him really well though, and even they took some time to get used to his speech patterns.

Still, the police apparently didn't even look inside the vehicle and somehow decided that the gaping hole in the roof was the doing of an unarmed female nurse who wasn't exactly large in size. Sure she was the one who stole it, but that was just being too ridiculous in accusations. Slam tried his best to tell then what happened, but most of the time the police just looked confused or acted as if they knew everything that happened and tried to convince him that they were the ones who were right. It was infuriating. Then, a groan alerted him that Lexi was awake. The current Loonatics leader sat up and rubbed her hand with her hand. The first thing she noticed was Zadavia and she hurriedly helped her boss up. The Freeling ruler was still unconscious, a sign that the damage done was probably worse than Lexi initially thought. It was only after all that did she realize what was going on when she finally took a look around outside the car, but without getting out yet.

"What the...? What happened?" She asked the nearest police officer, who told her only of how Lyra stole the car and somehow created a giant hole in it. For a second, Lexi was sure she heard wrong. Who in the right mind would think Lyra would do it? And how could she have done it anyway?

"I did not!" Lyra protested, struggling as the officer near her still tried to handcuff her, "Sure I stole the car but how do you expect me to do that kind of damage?! Ms Bunny please explain!"

"Let her go. She's with me." Lexi said sternly, remembering what had occurred before she blacked out. Slam came up to her with a few growls of complaint. She apologized to him a little then got out of the car herself, though she wobbled and nearly fell when she did. Fortunately Slam caught her. When he did, she had a quick flashback of Ace catching her in a similar manner, but she quickly shook the feeling off. It simply wasn't the time for that kind of stuff.

The police reluctantly obeyed her instruction, and Lyra couldn't help but give them a disapproving look. Lexi wondered if she was the kind to take false accusations bitterly. It certainly seemed so.

"Lyra stole the car to help me. I was being attacked. If it wasn't for her I'd be dead now." Lexi explained vaguely, not feeling up to retelling everything. "In any case, the Loonatics will pay for the car, but you have to let her off. And she wasn't the cause of the car's damaged roof. An enemy calling himself 'Bellator' was the culprit. So you cannot blame her for that."

"But she did commit an offence by stealing one of our vehicles..." One officer started to say.

"I'll take my punishment!" Lyra snapped, interrupting the officer's sentence, "Do whatever, I stole the car ans I was speeding, I was wrong, so I don't mind getting punished for it, but like I said earlier, how on Acmetropolis so you expect me to do that while speeding?!"

"..." The officer was lost for words. Slam couldn't resist a small laugh, which was pretty much unnoticed. Lexi rolled her eyes with a smile. She was starting to like the reckless nurse, and her saving her life was only a minor reason.

"Alright, but you're coming with me to the tower first. You still need to return Rev that...whatever it is right?" Lexi stated. Lyra however, had forgotten her excuse as to why she was even heading to the Loonatics tower in the first place.

"Huh what you do mean...oh that! Hahaha...right..." Lyra said with a nervous laugh. Something was up, definitely. But considering the nurse had had a good hand in saving her and Zadavia's lives, Lexi decided to overlook it. She turned to Slam.

"So big guy, think you can take us back?" She asked. Slam grinned and growled out an enthusiastic 'Yes'. But before they could take off Lyra objected at once.

"Absolutely not!" She exclaimed, making the two members of the Loonatics jump, along with about five of the police officers near them, "Your friend is badly injured and unconscious, and you aren't in good shape either. No offence Mr Tasmanian but you wouldn't be able to safely carry all three of us to your HQ. So..."-She turned to the officers-"would you mind if I borrow the car for just a little longer? I'll return it directly and you can press charges on me then."

The officers stared at her in disbelief. She was something alright. He wasn't sure at all what to say, so he just allowed it. It could've been the intimidating glares from Lexi and Slam behind Lyra that pushed him to make the decision. Lyra, however, didn't seem to notice and instead smiled at him and got Lexi into the car. It was a little small for Slam, so he chose to fly back on the jetpack, but following the broken, yet functional, police car carefully, being slightly paranoid that another random attacker may appear out of nowhere. His paranoia wasn't too far from the truth actually. Veneficus was watching them on the roof of a building not too far from where Slam had fought with Bellator. His face was expressionless as he continued to watch them all until they disappeared down the road at normal speed. Then, he vanished, but little did he know he had been watched himself by a hazy figure on the next roof. Once he disappeared, the figure headed down as well.

"What happened?!" Tech demanded when Slam and Lexi entered the main room with an unconscious Zadavia on Slam's back, the nurse from the Acmetropolis General Hospital and Lexi being covered in wounds and limping slightly. Lexi shrugged a little, the sadness she felt earlier temporarily erased from her mind during her unfair, one-sided fight with the Blue Guardian member and the horrifically dangerous car ride which saved her life.

"We ran into one of the Blue Guardians." She said bluntly.

"WHAT?!" Tech, Duck and Rev all exclaimed at a volume that would've killed Lexi's ears if she left her super hearing ability on. Fortunately she learned how to temporarily shut down that ability. Still, it was a pretty loud exclamation and Lyra had covered her ears. Slam however, had carried Zadavia to the medical room already so he didn't have to suffer through the synchronized exclamation.

"You-fought-one-of-those-blue-guys-and-ended-up-wi th-injuries-like-these-oh-man-how-strong-was-this- guy-was-it-the-same-guy-as-the-one-in-the-hospital -who-kidnapped-that-professor-we-were-supposed-to- question-and-why-is-Zadavia-in-such-bad-shape?!" Rev ranted suddenly. Lexi felt a little happy at that though. Him speaking at his normal speed, well, maybe it was still a little slower, but it meant that he was feeling a lot better.

"Nice to hear you're talking like yourself again." Lexi commented with a light smile before she answered his speedy stream of questions, her smile disappeared as she started.

"Well this guy was definitely strong. He was huge and yet he moved almost as fast as you Rev. He took me out pretty quickly since my brain blasts weren't much against him. Zadavia lasted just a little longer than I did, but Bellator threw her into the wall, right where the wound she got from...back then...and the pain took over her."

"As fast as Rev huh..." Tech said thoughtfully while Rev seemed to have a bit of a minor mental breakdown at the news. Then Duck broke the silence.

"Okay first, you go rest," he said, gesturing towards Lexi, "and second, why is she here?"

His question was directed more at Slam than Lexi, which indicated that he really wanted her to lie down and recover, a hidden way of showing his concern but was still seen through by the rest. Despite that, though she felt grateful, she felt that she needed to stay and explain the situation properly, since it was her life Lyra saved. Slam started to say something, but Lexi stopped him and asked if she could explain instead.

"It's alright Ms Bunny. You really should rest. Explanations and such can come later. Would you like me to help with your injuries?" Lyra asked. Lexi winced.

"Lexi." She said, surprising the nurse a little, "Call me Lexi. You saved my life. And besides, you called me that earlier."

Lyra blushed slightly. "Sorry, I got worried when you didn't reply when I called you what I usually did."

"Don't worry about it." Lexi replied and turned to her teammates, but a sharp pain in her leg make her lose her balance. She was startled as she began to fall forward. Duck managed to catch her before she did though, so she was safe.

"I told you to go rest already sheesh you never listen do you?" The mallard said with an annoyed tone. The current Loonatics leader just shrugged. The pain in her leg was pretty bad, that was for sure, but the truth was she was actually relieved it wasn't the same pain she felt in her chest over and over. That one was different. It felt more than just painful. There was something else to it. Definitely.

"Maybe-you-should-just-get-her-on-the-couch-I'll-g o-get-her-some-water-to-cool-down." Rev suggested. It was a good idea, so they went with it. As the roadrunner when to get water Lyra also requested that he bring her some medical supplies so she could tend to Lexi's wounds. Some of them seemed more serious than what they initially thought.

As Lyra wrapped the cuts and bruises on the female bunny she explained all that occurred. They felt very worried when they heard exactly what their current leader and boss had to go through, but Tech's jaw dropped comically when Lexi got to the part of Lyra stealing the police car while Rev and Duck burst out laughing, though that quickly died down when Lexi told them the rest.

"This guy means business alright..." Duck said solemnly, folding his arms across his chest and fidgeting slightly. Rev didn't look to comfortable either. Tech just looked like he was trying to work something out. There was definitely something going on and the Blue Guardians probably had something to do with it. It was strange though. Their motives were extremely unclear. First they committed several robberies involving money, then suddenly they moved to nuclear technology and kidnapped the leading scientist of a huge project that could change Acmetropolis for the better. Then, they sent someone to attack Lexi, to kill her, and somehow, they knew she was alone as well. How?

"Mr Coyote!" Lyra's voice shouted, right in his ear. Tech jumped and fell off the couch in his shock. Rev and Duck had to hold back laughs, but Slam, who can come back to the main room to report Zadavia's condition busted out laughing as Tech hoisted himself back onto the seat, evidently embarrassed. Even Lexi was smiling with amusement, a genuinely amused smile. When Tech saw that, he felt glad that his embarrassment did some good.

"Oh dear I'm sorry! I needed to get your attention." Lyra exclaimed apologetically. Then she gestured over to the hallway, telling him she wanted to tell him something important. He immediately caught on and followed her to the hall.

"Okay, thanks for helping Lexi. I'm sorry about you having put through the danger though." Tech told her once the doors to the main room closed behind them.

"It's fine, but the truth is the real reason I came here was kind of destroyed…" The nurse said with a disappointed tone, as she slipped her hand into her handbag, which was mostly intact, before bringing out a shattered medical test-tube, her fingers stained red with Jack's blood.

"The blood sample got smashed huh?" Tech asked to confirm, unable to mask his own disappointment. Of course, he could still extract the DNA from the blood, but it seemed to have thinned out and dried quite a bit already, so it would be harder to get the accurate results, even with the advanced technology he had at his disposal.

"I'm really sorry. If I had known this would happen I would've brought it in a mini-safe to protect it." Lyra said. For a second Tech thought she was joking, but from the look on her face, it was clear that she was being serious about that even though she made it sounds as if she didn't.

"It should be fine. I can still use it, it'll just take a few days longer to get the results. I have to thank you for this." Tech said as gratefully as he could, but Lyra told him he didn't need to, as the sample wasn't delivered properly. Instead, she madeit clear that she would be content with helping them treat Lexi and Zadavia before she headed back to the hospital. Tech smiled and agreed to her suggestion. Tech then headed to the lab to try and get as much as he could from the blood-stained belongings of the nurse. Lyra on the other hand decided to head back to help Lexi with her injuries.

Tech approached the lab and while he felt a little weird with having to extract DNA from partially dried blood staining a woman's belongings, such as her purse, compact and a few painkiller bottles(so typical of a nurse working in a major hospital), but he wasn't too hung up on it and got to work, however, he never made it to the machine before the sharp pain in his head and chest returned, striking him much harder than last time once again. Why did it always increase in terms of pain each time? That time, Tech couldn't even scream anymore. He dropped Lyra's bag and crashed to the floor with one hand clutching his head and the other clawing at his own chest, as if he was trying to rip the fabric of his suit up. Black patches filled his vision and the voice came again, but it was getting clearer. He could hear something, something unbelievably familiar…what? What was it?!

"….h…..! …ch!" the voice called, sounding desperate. What was that? Who was that? The coyote couldn't figure it out, especially not with the pain tormenting him. Seconds later, he gave in and blacked out, but not before finally hearing the voice, suddenly loud and clear as his consciousness slipped away from him.

"…Tech!"

It was Ace's voice.

**Sorry!**

**Maybe the cliffhanger is just a little worse than I thought. I like it though. Heheh. But anyways moving on…I realize I barely use Slam since he isn't that easy to use due to his limited speech patterns and due to the fact that for some reason I don't really get his powers…(yes I sound like an idiot…) so I chose to change some of the original plot and replace Rev and Duck with Slam during the 'vs. Bellator' scene. I think I prefer the change though, after re-reading my original draft the combination I thought for them seemed no less than horrifying. By the way, the last part with Tech and Ace's voice, let's just say it's a warning that something pretty big is about to happen. I hope you'll enjoy it, I'm looking forward to writing all those chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Nya~!**

**I was thinking about how late I was to update this story the entire time I spent writing it, then I found it was only eleven days. It felt like an entire month to me! What's wrong with me?! Hmmm…could be stress, my exams are almost here. In two weeks to be exact, and I am going mad with worry! I really think I'm gonna fail at least two or three! (And yet, I spent time writing FanFictions…-.-") No, Xyla, don't panic. It's just a couple exams…don't freak. You're just gonna make it wor-UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! WHO AM I KIDDING I CAN'T BE CALM AT ALL!**

**Just joking. That was my really late, and pathetic attempt at an April Fool's joke. I really do have exams coming up but I'm not that worried because I did study quite a bit so I should be able to do just fine at the very least. Anyway, I was a little sad this time 'round because I only got two reviews again and the first one only came a week after I posted the chapter(no offence though Star) which kinda disheartened me, but I'm hardly ever like that for long so I'm gonna work harder and harder, and today when I received the email for the second review for this chapter, I got into a good mood so I sped through writing the chapter(though with care not to make stupid mistakes like when I burnt my English essay yesterday I'm not even joking this time) and finished it! Yay! So time to reply to reviews and get on with it!**

**Review Replies:**

**starskulls:**** Don't worry about the late reviews. I'm honestly glad you reviewed at all. Better late than ever! "Pain in the cupcake"…LOL WHUT?! Haha, I told you several times before and I will tell you again, I both love and hate cliffhangers on my own, so mine are pretty intense sometimes. Sorry! ^^ Hmmm…Nothing much to reply to today, but that's okay. Thanks for the…cupcake…? Hey! It's made with cookie dough?! YAY! Love it! Thanks and enjoy the story too! **

**M3ccoSURF: ****You made me sooooooooooooooooooooooo happy with this kind of review, and I am beyond overjoyed that you enjoy my fanfictions so much! OMG your review has got to be the most enthusiastic one yet(though not hyper, that trophy goes to the reviewer above you)! Hmmm, I don't think I portrayed Duck that well, but thanks anyway! It's reviewers like you and Star(up there) who make me so eager to write no matter what, and of course there's also personal passion about it too! ^^ Hope you enjoy the rest of this story!**

**Done! Now moving on…**

PART FIVE: ACE AND JACK **(LOL, sounds like poker cards…XD)**

Somewhere deep in the pitch black abyss that Tech found himself in, he heard Ace's voice yelling his name, sounding frantic and concerned. The coyote knew he had lost consciousness, at least physically, but he felt wide awake, and there seemed to be no pain. Not anymore at least.

He groaned a little as he sat up in the dark void of empty space, realizing that he was floating on an invisible floor. Or maybe it was just too dark to tell...? No, it was not that at all. Tech couldn't explain it with science, but he knew the space he was in was infinite. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. Although, what was more surreal to him was the fact that he was accepting it all without any questions. Normally he would have rejected anything that couldn't be explained logically, but he wasn't. Why? Was it because he could hear Ace?

"Tech will ya answ'a me already?!" Ace shouted as he finally came into sight. However, his form was hazy and translucent, so Tech could only really make out his silhouette roughly, but it was definitely him. The accent, the tone of his voice, the posture...it was all the same as the former Loonatics leader's.

"...Ace?" Tech said cautiously, afraid that he was imagining everything after all, that all of it was a dream. After all, Ace couldn't possibly be calling him. And even if he did somehow escape death before and ended up without memories, how was it possible that he was calling him? Tech was getting confused with himself. He could accept the empty space and could accept the fact that he really knew that it was somehow all real, but he couldn't completely decide whether it was really Ace calling him? It felt strange, and the coyote was even more confused when Ace started speaking again, after he let out a sigh of complete relief.

"Tat's good..." The bunny said, dropping to the unseen ground as if he was exhausted. His sound and shallow breathing confirmed it.

"Ace! What happened, what...?" Tech started to say, but was cut off.

"Sorry, I knew ya probably neva wanted ta see me again," Ace said, his figure getting hazier and hazier. It looked like he could just fade away and disappear any second, but he continued to speak, "but ya hafta stop d'ose Blue Guardians. D-D'ey're f...g...nts of da...c...al...argh!"

Ace' sudden yell shocked Tech. The bunny's figure collapsed and he was obviously in agony. Tech wanted to rush to him, to help him, but the coyote was dismayed to find that he suddenly couldn't move at all. He tried to, but he found that he wasn't even able to blink or speak. He was frozen in that position where he had no choice but to watch Ace writhe in pain.

"N...No...! Why...no...now when I...finally...got...th...through...?!" Ace yelled as he felt his pain intensify, and a sharp jolt shot through him. He started coughing and struggled to breathe. Tech was horrified. He tried to move, tried to twitch even the smallest of muscles but it was all on vain. There was nothing he could do. Then he noticed Ace turn to him, his features so blurred that he looked like a white mist with a slight anthro-human shape.

"Li...sten...Tech..." He forced himself to say, "da...Blue...Guar...Guardians'll...stop at nuthin'...ta...ta destroy da city...help me...help me stop...d'em...I dun...have much...time left...!"

With that Ace vanished into thin air and Tech immediately felt himself falling into the spiralling abyss below. He was able to move again, but moving was little help to stop him from falling. There was nothing he could grab on to and nothing to get in his way. He was going to fall forever, just falling and falling...then, a light shone through the inky black.

"TECH!" Rev shouted with overwhelming panic in his voice as Tech shot up to a sitting position on the medical bed he was on with a rushed gasp for air, as if he had just resurfaced from being underwater for too long. He started panting and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. He looked around and saw that Rev, Duck, Lexi, all bandaged up, and Slam were beside him, and seconds later Lyra came in to check up on him, her arms full with a large collection of medical supplies meant for Lexi and Zadavia. (Rev ran over to the hospital to..."borrow"...some, to which Lyra gave her consent.) Apparently she had forgotten to put them

"Tech are you okay?" Lexi asked, her face almost distorted with the immense concern she was feeling. Tech put a hand to his head.

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine..." He answered, though he wasn't too convinced himself, and from the look on the other's faces, they didn't think so either.

"What happened to you?" Duck asked with a slightly panicked look in his eyes. The mallard was clearly worried, though from his tone it was unlikely that he would admit it. Tech shook his head. He couldn't tell them what he saw. He wasn't even too sure how to tell them if he could. Ace was supposed to be dead, yet somehow he spoke to Tech in some kind of dream, or maybe a vision. After all, it felt too real to be a dream. What could he say to the rest, "Look guys Ace is still alive he suddenly used telepathy and spoke to me in my mind while I was knocked out"? That would not only make it seem as if he had lost his mind, it would also give everyone even more false hope that Ace may be alive in the case that he was really dead and everything was just hallucinations and coincidences.

"I don't know..." Tech said, not really lying but not really telling the truth again, "I just suddenly had this very painful headache and I blacked out."

"A bad and sudden headache?" Lexi gasped, "Just a while ago we all had one as well, only none of us blacked out from it."

Tech's eyes widened so much they looked like they would pop out of their sockets at any second. "What when?!"

His sudden demand surprised the rest, and then Lexi got a little suspicious. "Did something happen Tech? You suddenly became pretty pale."

Tech gulped. Lexi was definitely sharper ever since she became the leader of the superhero group. Especially after the emotional turmoil she had been through when she received the role.

"It's nothing much." Tech replied. Wrong choice of words.

"Nothing...much?" The current Loonatics leader said, putting much emphasis on the word 'much'. It scared the coyote as well as the rest of the group, as she looked downright deadly for a second. Tech actually felt a shiver run down his spine. Even Lyra took a few steps back.

"I knew it you are hiding something!" Lexi snapped fiercely, making the coyote and the rest of the room's occupants jump. "Didn't I say that if something is bothering one of us we wouldn't keep the rest in the dark?! What's going on Tech?! Tell us!"

Tech was no less than stunned. The incident with the Chaos Crystal had definitely harmed them all, but he never really knew how much it affected Lexi, not exactly at least. He knew she had a bit of a temper, (though it was nowhere near as bad as Duck's) but for her to lose it that badly meant a lot. Tech knew he shouldn't keep things, especially things about Ace, from her of all people. But earlier that day, when Rev brought up Jack Rabbit, she had even fought with Zadavia. Who knows what she may do if he told her about his dream-vision?

"Well?!" Lexi prompted, not giving him a chance to relax. Then, to everyone's surprise, Zadavia unsteadily walked into the room.

"Lexi, calm down." She said gently. The current Loonatics leader looked like she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut, probably because she still felt bad about fighting with Zadavia, being saved by her, and causing the wound on her boss's side to reopen. It was pretty serious after all.

"Tech isn't hiding anything. He just doesn't understand what's going on." Zadavia said, and the coyote gasped.

"How did you...?" He inquired, then the Loonatics boss sighed.

"In case you haven't noticed you tend to space out when you don't understand something troubling you. That's clearly been happening these few days. If you were really just hiding something you would just act a little more distant instead of losing your concentration." She informed him. For some reason that made Tech feel just a teensy bit embarrassed. Mostly because his boss said it in front of all his friends plus a nurse who was a stranger only that morning.

"But Lexi is right." Zadavia continued, "We don't want a repeat of what happened two months ago. If you really are worried about something, you should let us help you."

Tech lowered his head. He did want to tell them everything but he had absolutely no idea how. Seriously, what could he say to make them think he wasn't a complete lunatic? **(pun intended, but sorry for breaking the seriousness there XD)**

"Well...it's hard to explain..." He started to say, then noticed that Lyra was about to leave the room.

"Hey where are you going?" He stopped short to ask, and Lyra turned around to face him for a moment.

"This seems personal to all of you. Even if you do consider me a friends now, I don't think this is something I should hear. So I'll wait outside. Let me know when you're done." Without another word she opened the door and left the room, making sure the door closed properly. Duck blinked.

"Well, can't say I don't like her." He commented, though he wasn't too serious with his tone. No one really responded to that, but it simply meant they agreed with his statement. Lyra was interesting, and seemed to be a pretty nice person. But that subject only stood for another three seconds before they got back on track.

"So you wanna continue dog boy?" Duck asked, and Tech rolled his eyes, but otherwise let the comment slide. He took a deep breath and started tell the group all about his recent dreams, all occurring after a series of sharp headaches and chest pains, each time being more painful than the last. The dreams were almost always exactly the same, just empty black with a strange voice trying to call out to him. But he could never see anything, not even his own hand in front of his face. The most recent one, however, was different. He told everyone about how he saw Ace's blurry figure and heard his clear voice. As he expected, the room went deadly silent.

"How can that be?!" Zadavia, surprisingly, was the first to voice what was on the rest of the group's minds. Tech shook his head.

"I don't know. And actually, he said some strange things too..." He replied, staring at the floor as he wasn't sure what to do or say next. He thought about what Ace had said, and it was definitely strange.

"What...what did he say...?" Lexi asked carefully, unsure of what to think anymore. First they learned about someone who looked and spoke exactly like Ace, Jack Rabbit, then all of them shared strange, unexplainable sensations around the same time span with Tech feeling it most, causing him to collapse then have a weird dream about Ace trying to tell him something? It was so confusing. The current Loonatics leader had really no idea what to make of it, and neither did anyone else.

"..." Tech paused, taking a few deep breaths again before he carried on, "Well, I'm not too sure whether in right or not, because when he started to feel pain himself, his voice got really hard to hear, but he said something about the Blue Guardians being...fragments...I think."

"Fragments-what's-that-supposed-to-mean-doesn't-ma ke-any-sense-to-me." Rev admitted. The coyote shrugged and said he could offer no answer to that, so instead he carried on, and told them about how Ace said he had "finally gotten through" and that he "didn't have much time left". However, he held back the most confusing statement for last.

"The strangest thing he said though, was, "Sorry, I knew probably you never wanted to see me again." I don't get why he would think that." Tech held his breath right after he was done saying those words. He knew it, he was greeted with stunned silence again. Then Slam growled with a perplexed tone. Lexi nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...Ace would have wanted to see us right?" She said, looking thoughtful. Tech lay back down on the bed he was on and sighed. He felt perfectly useless. It had been him who had seen that vision of Ace, and it also had been him who met Jack Rabbit properly and found that the rabbit anthro had memory loss. Yet he couldn't figure out what was going on. If Jack really was Ace with amnesia, how and why would he send such a message, especially one with trying to tell him something about the Blue Guardians? Nothing seemed to make sense at all.

"I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I have now." The coyote said as he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't help giving Zadavia a sideways glance, but he immediately turned away before she could notice. However, he was too late.

"Tech I know what you're thinking, so you don't have to give me that look." The Loonatics boss told him as she took a seat after beginning to feel dizzy. She had a hand to her head, but she shifted her emerald eyes towards the current Loonatics leader instead.

"Lexi, the truth is I've asked Tech to go an confirm whether Jack Rabbit is Ace or not. If he has the results he may be able to figure out a piece of the puzzle." She confessed, and Lexi gasped with surprise. Duck also widened his eyes, as he had been with Lexi in Ace's room during the planning.

"What?! But...But you told me..." The female bunny started to say, but Zadavia cut her off.

"I'm sorry. I know what I said." She replied, "I just didn't want you to remain too hopeful, in case Jack isn't Ace after all. Tech didn't say anything only because I told him to keep quiet about it. But with things as they are now, finding out if this lookalike is the real thing may help us. Ace seems to know about the Blue Guardians, and if he is alive, there may be a way to defeat them as well as get him back."

"But if Ace really is alive, why the heck is he hiding from us? Sure he could be pretending to be the Jack Rabbit, but from what Rev said, he had memory loss, and if it was fake the nurse would probably have found that out by now." Duck commented. Instantly the mood in the room darkened. The mallard had a point. Tech sighed.

"You may be right Duck," he said, still staring upwards and not looking at anyone else in the room, "If Ace was faking and living out as Jack Rabbit, he probably would've been found out, and there's the reason of why he's being from us to think about. But if it's a real case of amnesia, how would he have sent that vision and communicated with me? He wouldn't know me, and last time I checked, Ace didn't have psychic powers or anything! Nothing makes sense!"

The coyote was extremely frustrated. He wanted to break something. It was very unusual for him to feel like that, but he really didn't want to care about anything. How the heck had an investigation at the research facility led to all those problems anyway?

"No it doesn't." Zadavia agreed, "But you should still check to see if Jack is Ace. We might find out something useful if he is."

"But-what-if-he-isn't-I'm-sorry-for-ruining-the-mo ment-but-I-had-to-ask." Rev blurted out without too much thought, regretting most of it right after he finished saying the last word. The rest stared at him with slightly annoyed looks, yet there was worry present too.

"Sorry..." Rev said softly, looking guilty. Tech sighed, again, and told him he wasn't to blame. Then the coyote jumped to his feet, a little wobbly but perfectly fine otherwise.

"I should go have the blood sample Lyra gave me analyzed. The sooner we figure this out the better." He said carelessly and Lexi flinched.

"Wait, Lyra gave you the blood sample? That's why she wanted to come and nearly got killed?" The current Loonatics leader exclaimed. At once Tech felt bad. The female bunny had a point. Had he not asked the nurse to bring him the blood sample, she would not have been in harm's way. How stupid was he for not thinking of that earlier?

"Yeah...kind of I guess...I should go apologize..." He said, mostly to himself, and without another word he left the medical room and headed back to the lab. He wasn't worried about any more mental attacks or whatever. If Ace had caused them the coyote doubted he would be able to do it again for a while, considering how drained it seemed to make him. He shook his head. No, he shouldn't be assuming things without any confirmation. That had been a mistake that got Ace possessed by the crystal in the first place, and ironically, also caused Chaos Ace's downfall. Chaos Ace...Tech hated that guy. If not for him the team would still be perfectly fine. Even though he was a superhero and should not think such things, the coyote had to say he was glad the guy died with Ace. It was just that the price was way too high for him to enjoy that guy's absence.

"Well you look half-dead." Lyra suddenly said, appearing next to him, "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing...I don't really want to talk about it." The coyote replied without really looking at her. She sighed and started walking next to him.

"I suppose you're going to analyze the blood now?" She asked, effectively changing the subject, and Tech nodded, feeling grateful for the turn the conversation took.

"I really should thank you for bringing it even though it's shattered now. And again, sorry for asking you to come. You wouldn't have run into that Bellator guy is I hadn't asked." He told her and she gave him an incredulous look.

"You're still hung up on that?" She asked, exasperated, "If I wasn't there Lexi may have died. As a nurse I couldn't let that happen now could I?"

Tech blinked, not expecting the answer, before Lyra continued to speak. "Anyway, it's getting late. It should head back. I still have to return that police car and pay the price for both borrowing it and wrecking it."

"Seriously we could pay for that." Tech offered, but she turned him down like she did with Lexi.

"I said no already! Now I really have to go. Let me know the results of the analysis okay?" She requested instead, then took off. Tech stared after her, not really sure what to think. But he knew he shouldn't dwell on it too much. Besides, Lyra wasn't a superhero and didn't need to involve herself in such stuff, even if she did do a deed most normal person would never even think of doing. She was a nurse, and she had a job to do. And so did Tech. He entered the lab.

Analyzing the blood, which was pretty much completely dried after spending some extra time to harden in the ventilated room while Tech had been out cold(much to his annoyance), proved to be quite a challenge. Still, it wasn't impossible, and once he figured out the best way to safely extract Jack's DNA, it was only a matter of minutes before he was able to compare it to Ace's blood. The results filled Tech with an entire churning sea of emotions.

They didn't match.

**Whew!**

**I wonder how you're all feeling right now. You wanna kill me? Since I made it that Jack and Ace don't have the same DNA? Ohohohoho! I'm hoping to confuse you all to no end! Wait that's not possible…if I did that this story will never have an ending…-_-" But to be honest I really want to confuse you people because I don't want you to expect what's gonna happen next. You might, maybe make a few guesses, but I really don't want expectations. I hope I don't sound mean or anything, I just want to make things more interesting for everyone! I pray that I am doing a good job so far. But ah well, I must leave now. See ya!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay!**

**I got to upload an earlier chapter. It's shorter than most but I think, or hope, that the suspense and stuff in it makes up for the short-ness. Well I was pretty happy today and a few days before, and it's probably due to the entire stream of reviews I received from NickyRockit! A special thanks to you! I won't really say much today, but I will give you a warning. The ending of this chapter will definitely either confuse you or answer all your question. So good luck with that!**

**Review Replies:**

**AnimeGirl 144: ****Hahaha! Your Sherlock impression was really hilarious to read! XD Thanks for the review and favourites they seriously all mean a bunch to me! But have you read the prequel to this story? You should, or you may not understand some stuff in here. Just to let you know. Lyra is a favourite OC of mine since she's based off a senior of mine. But how she does in the story I can't tell you just yet! Wow you have epic reactions…LOVE IT! Hahaha! Don't worry it spoiled nothing! I bet everyone's thinking what you mentioned. Yeah…Tech's my second favourite so I couldn't help giving him a larger role. I wish I could write more Slam and Duck properly though…can't seem to use them right… :/**

**NickyRockit: ****Seriously…THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU FOR ALL THOSE REVIEWS! I AM SO DARN HAPPY RIGHT NOW! AND ALSO FOR THE FOLLOWS AND FAVOURITES! Now to reply all at once to you…**

**Chapter 1: I was excited to write it! I love this story and I am so happy all you people love it too! You all have no idea how ecstatic I get when I receive reviews and your five reviews just blasted me through the roof of my home with joy! Thanks for the compliments! I really worked hard on the expressions and emotions!**

**Chapter 2: You like Lexi best? Wow I never thought I'd finally meet someone who does! I'm an Ace-fanatic myself, but Lexi's still awesome! You know, I wanted to hug them too! I felt bad making them so sad and stuff but I knew it had to be done so forgive me! And I know needles can be scary to some, just not to me. And most of my encounters with people with a fear of needles is always comical…does that make me bad?**

**Chapter 3: Keep guessing Nicky…Keep guessing! You will not find out until I reveal everything in the later chapters! So you will have to keep guessing until then! Well if you heard, Lyra is based off an admired senior of mine so I just couldn't help but make her just a little more significant than I thought I would! **

**Chapter 4: I couldn't make them win all the time! And I wanted a bit of a girl-fight, but I couldn't do that to Zadavia or Lexi, and I didn't want to introduce the female Blue Guardian as she has another significant role in the story, so I chose my medieval warrior Bellator! Unfortunately, he has the strongest physical strength and an ego to match. XP Lyra being a police car thief was something funny because that senior she's based off once stole my teacher's bag because I fell down the stairs and she wanted to get me help without wasting time explaining. (Trust a member of the drama club to be so dramatic about it.) And Ace…well…read on…**

**Chapter 5: Final thanks for all the reviews! Zadavia is awesome I just love how she's like a mother or at least elder-sister kind of person to the Loonatics. In the story there are PLENTY of hints that Lexi's in love with Ace but I made it one-sided like in the actual show. I really just can't write romance even though I'd like to sometimes. Yep, they didn't match. You'll find out why soon enough. One or two more chapters at most. I intend to keep people curious! Otherwise it'd be boring to read! So like I said, keep guessing and read on!^^**

**starskulls:**** STAR! Stop worrying about reviewing late! I don't care how long you take I am perfectly fine so long as you bother to send me a review in the first place! Jeez you're such a worrywart!(Did I use that right?) But I suppose this is your shortest review yet. Exams getting in the way for you too huh? I'm stuck on a tight schedule too. Oh well. I'm glad you're intrigued and have fun guessing again! I wish I could say more but I'll leave that to PMs and emails okay?**

**Done! Now moving on…**

PART SIX: MESSAGE FROM A GHOST

Tech couldn't believe it. The DNA samples of Jack and Ace didn't match. Why? Why didn't they match? The two of them were the same person weren't they?

Tech stopped himself. Had he been thinking that all this time? That the two were one and the same? But hadn't he kept telling himself that they weren't, always thinking the opposite of what he was currently thinking? No...the truth was easy. He kept telling himself that they weren't the same person, but he never really believed that statement once he saw Jack with his own eyes. He didn't know Ace as well as Lexi or even Duck, but that Jack Rabbit was so similar to the former Loonatics leader Tech couldn't help but feel that they were the same person. Sure Jack had a more childish personality, but if he was really Ace with amnesia that would just be a side effect of the memory loss. Other than that aspect, everything else matched up perfectly. So why did they have different DNA?!

Tech slumped to the floor, his knees turning into jelly and losing all the willpower he needed to keep on standing right there. He knew it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help feeling that he had failed. Failed the team, failed Lexi...failed Ace. It felt like he was to blame for it all. It hurt really bad. It hurt so bad the coyote didn't even feel the familiar pain in his chest, the same one that knocked him out earlier and allowed him to make contact with Ace. However, when he did notice it, he found that the pain was weird. It was very minimal, enough to feel, but not to actually hurt him. Then, he heard a very, very faint voice in his head. Like before it was Ace's.

"Tech...ya hafta...come ta...da out...skirts of...da...city...tonight...I need...ta...speak...ta ya...please...trust me dis...dis once...I'm...beggin...ya..." There was nothing more than that. The coyote was again confused. So Ace didn't really die, and Jack Rabbit was a pure coincidence. It hardly seemed possible. But Ace was calling him and even if it's just some delusions from being overly stressed lately, checking to see if Ace was really there, alive, wouldn't hurt. If it was all real, maybe everything could go back to the way things were, fighting crime all together as a perfectly balanced team. Tech found himself praying to every god he knew but didn't believe in until that very second that it was real and he was not going crazy. He didn't know if he or the rest of the Loonatics would be able to take it if all visions of Ace turned out to be fake like Jack. He was mostly worried about Lexi. Her close relationship with Ace often led to some irrational or reckless actions on her part, but if she of all people learned that Ace was truly and completely dead after all these weird signs that he might be alive, it may just kill her inside. For good. So, as much as he didn't like the idea, Tech decided to go and see Ace, and he was going to go alone.

The medical room was emptied after Tech left. Only Zadavia remained, lying on the bed Tech was on a while ago, resting. She closed her emerald green eyes and tried to block the headache threatening to cause her a significant degree of mental turmoil. She failed. She wasn't that good at dealing with emotions, whether it was her own or those of others. She did care, but sometimes it was just harder to show her true feelings of pity, care and vulnerability. It was one of the negative aspects of being a Freeling ruler. She had to remain strong even if she didn't always fight in the front line like her subjects or subordinates. She wanted to, but she always seemed to be needed elsewhere.

Becoming the Loonatics leader was one of the best things that had ever happened to her, not that she would admit it for a long time. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was just that, for a little longer, she wanted that to remain her special secret. Zadavia was able to talk to people who didn't treat her like some queen, even though she technically was one. They liked her for who she was, mostly since they only found out about her bloodline after the incident with her brother Optimatis. Still, they continued to treat her like they always had, like a part of the team. She wasn't just their boss, she was their friend. And she felt the same way about them.

The Loonatics boss turned so that she lay on her uninjured side. It wasn't really good for the injury when she made even the slightest of movement of any part of her that wasn't her head or a limb, but she felt more comfortable in that position. For some reason it helped her think a bit better. She, like everyone else, was quite confused with the recent situation. The Blue Guardians' motives were one thing. Why would they want to steal an environmental project's materials then even go as far to kidnap the leading scientist? Then the attack on Lexi was also strange. What did destroying the Loonatics have to do with their plan? However, what was more confusing was the issues with Tech's claims of Ace calling out to him in a vision. Zadavia didn't know what to make of it. For one thing, Ace didn't have that sort of power, he couldn't send dream-like messages to others. Another thing was the fact that the Jack Rabbit guy was identical to the former Loonatics leader and suffered from an unexplainable case of memory loss. Was it coincidental? Or did it mean something more?

Suddenly Zadavia had a thought. She and the others had been so focused on the idea of Ace being possibly alive that they had almost neglected the search for the missing scientist and the project materials. The Loonatics boss wanted to scream at herself. How did she allow something like that to slip her mind? It wasn't like her to forget something so important. And yet...

A soft knock on the door interrupted Zadavia's frustrated train of thought, followed by Lexi's voice. "Um...Zadavia? Can I come in?"

"...The door is open Lexi. Come in on." The Loonatics boss replied and the current Loonatics leader stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Zadavia looked like she wanted to sit up to see her, but Lexi immediately persuaded her to lie back down when she made a move.

"D-Don't get up. You need to rest." The female bunny said, and Zadavia gave her a light grin.

"Don't you need it too?" She asked, wanting to lighten the mood just a little. It wasn't a usual thing to do for her, but it felt like the right thing to do. Lexi frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"Seriously? You're gonna go all Duck on me right now?" She questioned with an annoyed look. Zadavia gave her another light grin.

"Perhaps." She told the current Loonatics leader, and Lexi huffed, turning away. They both stayed like that in silence for a while. Then...

"...why did you go looking for me?" Lexi asked quietly, surprising Zadavia with her question. "I got really unreasonably angry with you when the whole Ace thing was brought up, and yet you came looking for me. If you hadn't I'd be in serious trouble so I'm not complaining, but...just why Zadavia?"

"..." Zadavia thought for a mere second, then let out a sigh. "Do I need to explain? It's because I care about you Lexi. I was afraid I hurt you more than I intended, and I wanted to apologize, even though I have to say I didn't think you would forgive me then.

"I know you miss Ace the most out of all of us. But you know, sometimes we have to learn to face facts. I didn't want you to be hung up on Ace forever, since I know it would mean you would always remain sad. I was afraid that if you started hoping he was alive only to find that he wasn't would cause that. But..."

"But...?" Lexi repeated with unreadable tone and facial expression. Zadavia met her gaze properly and continued.

"When you left the room Tech asked me if I could allow him to at least confirm if Jack Rabbit is Ace. I wanted to say no, but I truly wished to know whether he was still alive or not. So I approved, but gave him the order to tell no one else about the visit or the results unless I granted permission. I'm sorry for not saying anything, I just..."

"...didn't want me to hope for what could be nothing." Lexi finished. She looked upset, yet relieved at the same time. "You weren't being cruel to me. You just wanted to make sure I'd be okay. And I lashed out at you. I'm the one who should apologize. I'm so sorry Zadavia."

Zadavia sat up, quick enough that Lexi couldn't stop her, but slow enough to not cause too much pain for herself. Without another thought she wrapped her arms around the female bunny affectionately, like how a mother would hold her precious child. Lexi definitely felt the warmth of that.

"Let's just call it even shall we? I really don't like arguments between us." She suggested and Lexi smiled.

"Me neither. So yeah. It's even. But thanks for saving me Zadavia." She said.

"I believe it was truly the nurse, Lyra who did that. But you're welcome." The Loonatics boss replied. Then Lexi forced her back down onto the bed. As much as she liked the touching moment between the two of them, she knew Zadavia needed the break way more than she did.

"Just rest now. I'll go check to see if Tech's done." Lexi said. Zadavia immediately had a worried look in her eyes, probably afraid that she would be heartbroken if she found that the bunny and the rabbit were really two different people after all, but Lexi told her not to be anxious. The was determined not to let her emotions get the better of her again. After what it did to Zadavia, she didn't want to lose to sadness or depression a second time. And she was more than willing to hope that Ace didn't want that either. So she prepared herself for the worst case scenario as she exited the medical room.

Walking down the hallway she quickly made her way to the lab. There, she found the rest of the team. They were lingering at the doorway, which was open. However, Tech was the only one inside. From the looks of everyone's faces, there could be only one result.

"They...didn't match...?" Lexi asked cautiously, her stomach churning with immense disappointment and sadness in spite of herself. The boys jumped, only just realizing she was even there.

"Er...Lex?" Duck inquired, not really sure what to say. When she glanced at him, any thought he had about actually speaking vanished and he reluctantly gave her a small, pained nod. Lexi's eyes felt wet at once, but she held the tears back. Jack wasn't Ace. There would be no use crying over it. Didn't she tell herself that she wouldn't allow her emotions to get the better of her again. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"I see. Then we're back to square one on this." She said, swallowing up her feelings and trying to maintain a calm face. The boys all blinked, even Tech stuck his head out of the lab doorway in surprise. That made Lexi a little annoyed. It pretty much just told her that they had thought she would be weak and react in a not-so-good way, though she could admit to herself that it was all true. Not anymore.

"What?!" She asked, "I know I always get sad over this kind of thing, but we don't have time to be now guys. Jack Rabbit isn't Ace. That's it. We have a mission to complete."

"You...You-sure-you're-okay-Lexi-I-mean-you-just.. ." Rev's speaking speed had slowed down again, though not too significantly as before. Lexi supposed that in a way they were all relieved to know that Jack wasn't Ace, though it brought on what could be realization that Ace was gone for good, so no one would enjoy that relief.

"I'm fine Rev thanks." The current Loonatics leader told the roadrunner, then turned to the coyote, "Tech, maybe you should rest for a while. You could've been stressed when you saw the dream-vision of Ace. It may or may not be real, but we can confirm that after we deal with the Blue Guardians, I have a score to settle with them."

No one knew what to say in response to the current Loonatics leader's proud statement. It seemed exactly like she had reverted back to her old self. But there was still the uncertainty in her voice that the rest of the team and gotten painfully used to. She still hasn't recovered, and the DNA results probably weren't helping. Rev glanced sideways at Tech, expecting the coyote to protest and say something about how the vision wasn't false. About how Ace was still alive and somewhere waiting for them. But he said something completely different...

"Maybe you're right...I guess things have been hard on us...so I'll take the night off, is that okay?" Tech asked. Lexi gave him a smile and nodded. Then, she left the lab, and before long so did everybody else. Everybody except Rev.

"Tech-is-something-wrong-I-mean-you've-never-ever- ever-said-anything-about-anything-science-couldn't -explain-before-but-you-accepted-the-Ace-dream-thi ng-pretty-easily-so-why-are-you-backing-out-now?" The roadrunner asked with evident perplexity. Tech sighed. There was no getting past his best friend.

"Sorry about this Rev, but can I explain tomorrow?" He requested, not really looking at his friend, much to Rev's apparent annoyance. But the roadrunner just asked him why and allowed him to properly explain the reason for the request before he made an judgement.

"It's complicated," Tech said vaguely, "but I just have to confirm something. Once I do, I promise to tell you everything. The others...I'll have to think about it. But I promise I'll tell you okay?"

Rev didn't look convinced and he probably didn't like the fact that Tech may not tell the rest about the problem or whatever he was dealing with. Despite that, Rev trusted the coyote(even though his parents still didn't and probably never will) and knew he wouldn't do something overly reckless or stupid without some degree of precaution. So, he just sighed.

"Alright-Tech-I'll-keep-quiet-about-it-do-whatever -you-need-to-but-don't-over-do-it-okay?" He told Tech and the coyote smiled gratefully. Then, he glanced at the clock with some anxiety. It was getting pretty late. Soon, he'll have to meet Ace, or whoever the person sending the messages to him really was.

Not too far away from the city, just beyond the borders, a lone figure leaned against a formation of rocks. He was breathing heavily, all his energy depleted. He barely had any strength left to even move. He decided that it would be best to recover as much of his energy as he could while he still had the chance. There wasn't much time left after all. He allowed himself to collapse onto the hard ground. He shut his eyes tightly, as even seeing anything other than darkness made his head spin like an out-of-control Slam on tornado mode.

"You sure look pitiful. What did I say about you using your powers like that?" A female voice suddenly said, sounding mocking but hiding a worried undertone. The male figure place his arm over his eyes, but peeked out just enough to see his companion, draped in a cloak of deep indigo. Her lime green eyes were as sharp and daunting as always, but like her tone, held a concerned look as well.

"Ya know I had no otha choice." The male figure said, closing his eye again. The female figure sat down next to him.

"Why are you going so far for that group? In the end they'll wipe us all out." She told him fiercely.

"I know. But yer still helpin' me. And besides, ya know it has ta be done." The male figure replied with a truthful, yet almost sad tone. His companion sighed.

"Yeah yeah." She said, "We shouldn't have been brought here. But I still don't understand. Why are you doing all this?"

The male figure was quiet for a while. He thought about what he wanted to say to his companion. He wasn't sure how he would be able to explain it so that she would understand. He didn't really expect her to, to be honest, but he hoped she would. She was the one person who he would want to understand his situation.

"You know what? Never mind. You can keep your secrets. But be careful of my partners. They aren't like me here." She suddenly said, interrupting his train of thought. She then gave him a light peck on the cheek then took off. The male figure couldn't help blushing and raising a hand to the cheek as his companion took off. He sighed. That wasn't important. What was important was dealing with the current situation, and resolving everything once and for all.

"Tech...ya betta be able ta help me...or everythin' won't eva be da same again."

**Yahoo~!**

**Bet you're all wondering whether that's Ace at the end. But who is that girl with him? Hehehehe! I have a lot up my sleeve this time. I really won't reveal much yet. Oh and I may or may not be able to update for a while depending on my schedule. I do have exams starting on the 3****rd**** of May after all. I'm worried about them but I still think I'll do okay. Wish me luck? Nah I'm joking. I may need it but I won't ask you to actually do it if you don't want to okay? I really don't want to become that kind of person. Oh great now I'm practically ranting. So see ya before I lose it! XP**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay!**

**Just so you know this will be the last chapter I post before my mid-year exams so the next chapter will only come out in two weeks' time, unless I use the computer in the middle of the night again. I'll try my best to get the next chapter done earlier though, and if possible I'll try and finish up the next chapter early too. Hopefully I'll be able to post two chapters at once after exams, but no promises! Anyway, I don't have much time to chat or anything, I haven't had a chance to for a while now, so I'll hurry with review replies today, I apologize, and carry on.**

**Review replies:**

**NickyRockit****: Yay thanks again for the new review! LOL this chapter may fill you with even MORE questions. I think I hide too much. Tell me how you reacted to the last line though, please? There are many many many many MANY possibilities. Of course everything will be revealed soon, since I brought a certain character back into this story and this person should tell you guys a lot of what had happened. But this story will definitely be longer than TCC in the end so keep reading! **

**AnimeGirl 144****: Don't worry you weren't late. So long as I get reviews I'm happy. You were upset? Are you okay now? Oh thanks for reading don't have to review it, I still do watch for reviews for that one but I'm not expecting much since it's completed already. Well, I like humour but I'm not too good at it. My reactions to stuff are normally just insane enough to scare everyone around me…_ But well…YOU THOUGHT THAT GIRL WAS LYRA?! OMG! Um…read on and you'll see why I reacted that way. But please don't think I'm insulting you because I'm not and I've often been misunderstood. I mean, what kind of writer would I be if I insulted my readers? I'd rather be admitted to the mental hospital before I do that. Oh well, carry on and thanks for continued support!**

**starskulls:**** Jeez I told you I don't mind late reviews already! But are exams and stuff getting really that stressful? Your reviews are getting shorter and shorter and I'm a paranoid person so I'm getting worried Star! Are you okay!? Hope I can update soon but I'm having exams too for a while. T^T**

**Done though now I'm a little depressed…meh…**

PART SEVEN: REVEALATIONS(did I use this title before? If yes I'll change it.)

Tech waited until it got considerably dark before he left the HQ tower. Rev silently watched him leave through the window without the coyote noticing. The roadrunner did trust him, but he was just a little afraid that his best friend could get himself into serious trouble. He may be the youngest and most hyperactive of the group, but Rev knew that going off alone may prove to be dangerous, especially after what happened to Lexi and Zadavia.

"What're you doing?" A sudden voice asked and Rev nearly jumped out of his feathers in shock as he turned and saw Duck standing there with a questioning look, arms folded across his chest and tilting his head ever so slightly to the side with concerned curiosity.

"D-D-D-D-Duck-what-are-you-doing-up-so-late-you-sh ould-be-asleep!" Rev exclaimed with a panicked tone, and the mallard raised an eyebrow.

"What about you? Why are you still up?" He asked, though he got suspicious the moment Rev reacted more violently than he had expected, which made him think that he wouldn't be getting an answer to his own questions, and he was right.

"M-M-Me? Oh-it's-nothing-I-just-felt-a-little-restless-you- know-with-everything-that's-been-going-on-and-stuf f-I-just-can't-seem-to-get-myself-relaxed." Rev lied, obviously not planning on letting up. So, Duck decided to play his trump card, though he didn't really like to do it.

"Oh really?" He asked, "Tech seemed pretty agitated when we were talking just now."

"Well-he-is-a-little-worried-with-what's-been-goin g-on-and-the-results-of-the-blood-test-is-really-c onfusing-now-you-know-he-told-me-he-would-need-to- go-confirm-something-so..."

"So you did talk to dog boy? You weren't just restless?" Duck interrupted, and Rev stared at him, finally figuring out what the mallard had done. He mentally slapped himself as he glared at Duck.

"That-was-unfair." He commented and Duck shrugged.

"Wasn't my fault you didn't catch on. Of all times and people why would Tech come to me for a chat? I was actually afraid it was too obvious." He said. Rev sighed in defeat. He hated it when Duck played him, though he did feel just a little better as the mallard hardly ever pranked or tricked him much after the Chaos Crystal incident, so it wasn't all bad. Still, it pretty much meant he unintentionally broke his promise to the coyote, who may eat him in his anger if he found out...more like 'when' he found out.

"Still-that-was-mean-of-you-Duck-what'll-Tech-say? " Rev pouted as he said that and the mallard rolled his eyes with both amusement and impatience.

"I won't tell on you so calm down already. Just tell me what's going on." Duck stated bluntly as the roadrunner was starting to pace around with worry, almost completely ignoring what his teammate said. Almost.

"I'm-sorry-Duck-I'm-just-really-really-really-nerv ous-about-everything-especially-with-Tech-but-he-w on't-tell-me-anything-so-I-have-to-say-I'm-feeling -a-little-left-out." He said finally when he calmed down. The mallard frowned. Tech didn't even tell Rev what he was doing? Well, it wasn't as if he had to report to the roadrunner about everything that happens to him, but the two were pretty close as friends and the coyote had always been more open with Rev than anyone else. It was almost like Ace and Lexi's case, only without the one-sided romance.

"If he didn't even tell you it's gotta be serious." Duck commented and Rev sighed, again. He started pacing again, but Duck decided he should stop the roadrunner before he paced enough to form a hole in the floor and made him sit quietly on the couch. Rev, surprisingly, put up little resistance. Duck sat down next to him. For a while, no one said anything, though Rev fidgetted with pretty much anything he got his hands on.

"You know..." Duck finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had begun to fill the room. Rev looked at him expectantly.

"I remember...two months ago, I had a talk with Ace right here just before he...left. It was the night before that day." He confessed. Rev's eyes widened, more astonished than anything else. He asked the mallard what Ace wanted, and hardly received any form of response for a moment. Then Duck sighed, though it sounded exasperated.

"Jeez why'd all of you think I don't feel like being the one to start a meaningful conversation all the time?!" He exclaimed and the roadrunner jumped at his outburst. He blinked a few times to let his mind process what Duck had just said, then he lowered his head to his shoulders in a lousy attempt to apologize without really saying anything as the mallard continued to glare at him. It didn't work until he really did add a soft 'sorry?' to that. Duck then rolled his eyes and turned away to stare forward.

"I told Ace we'd really miss him. That the team won't ever be the same without him. Hmph...that stupid rabbit...he acted pretty calm throughout the whole thing. It got me real mad." The mallard confessed as any remaining sign of his glare completely vanished and got replaced by sadness, though not without his usual minor irritation.

"He said he was calm because he wouldn't be able to go through with everything if he let his emotions get to him. He told me we were the best teammates he could ever ask for." He continued, then became a little more quiet as he had his fingers in the criss-cross position and was rubbing his thumbs against one another.

"You know Rev, I'm really wishing I could've done a lot more to save him. He called us the best team he could ask for but I couldn't help feeling like we sent him to his death. I know it's weird for me to be saying this but I never really had to face something like that. And I hope I never have to again."

Rev was silent as Duck told him the rest of what happened, which wasn't much except for the short gaming session they had before the two had finally gone to bed, though Duck told Rev that he didn't believe Ace really went to sleep at all that night. In all honesty, neither did Rev. If it were him, the roadrunner would probably cry the entire night at the thought of having to leave everyone forever. He, they all, knew Ace was strong, but even the strongest person wouldn't be able to keep it together for too long if they were forced into such a situation. Right?

"Hey-Duck-why-do-you-think-it's-weird-for-you-to-b e-saying-this-I-think-it's-perfectly-fine." Rev asked, hoping to move away from the overly depressing topic. The attempt seemed to work, at least for a while, when the mallard just told the roadrunner that he knew he always acted like a self-centred twit and probably made the rest think he was incapable of other stuff.

"You did think Ace was the one to start chatting with me that night." Duck added in to try and prove his point.

"Aw-come-on-I-said-I-was-sorry!" Rev complained and Duck laughed at him.

"It's fine I was just messing with you. But thanks for asking." He told the Loonatics's youngest member. Then he stood up and allowed himself a stretch. "Well, I'd better go get some sleep before my feathers start falling off. And when Tech comes back from his joyride let him know I said he should tell the rest what's going on. That we all have the right to know, now of all times."

Rev hesitated for a moment before sighing and nodding. Satisfied, Duck quacked his way back to his room.

As much as Rev didn't really want to and instead wanted to let Tech have his privacy for a while, Duck was right. He had to tell them what was going on with him. Rev shook his head, then got up to head to bed as well, taking it a little slowly. If he had been faster, he would have heard the shuffling sounds of feet hurrying back down the corridor.

Slam was looking for the current Loonatics leader. Mainly because Lexi was bottling up her emotions pretty unnaturally so the Tasmanian devil wanted to make sure she was alright. Besides, he hardly ever had a real private conversation with anyone on the team, not counting Duck while they were video-gaming. He decided that that should change. He had knocked on Lexi's door and found that she wasn't inside. He got worried and went to look for her, finding her hiding in the corridor that connected their rooms to the main room in the HQ tower. She looked surprised and sad and just a little confused. Slam was about to say something, then heard Duck's voice.

"You know...I remember...two months ago, I had a talk with Ace right here before he...left. It was the night before that day."

Slam froze. Lexi was eavesdropping on Duck's conversation? With who? And to who would Duck confess such a thing without any sign of his usual tone?

"Oh...really-what-did-he-want-to-talk-about?" Rev's voice came. Well, that answered Slam's question. Though he was surprised. He actually suspected it to be Tech or Zadavia, not that she was awake at the moment due to her injuries. And Tech seemed to be someone the mallard would share personal affairs with. But Rev...Duck never did seem that close too him after all.

There was a brief silence. Slam didn't dare look to see what was happening since his large build would've definitely given him and Lexi away. Truth be told, he really wanted to get away from there because he knew eavesdropping wasn't a good thing, but couldn't resist the curiosity. Lexi was the same, and she was peeking at the two birds ever so carefully.

" Jeez why'd all of you think I don't feel like being the one to start a meaningful conversation all the time?!" Duck exclaimed and both Slam and Lexi cringed. They honestly both felt a little guilty as they never really could imagine Duck starting some depressing or meaningful conversation. They knew better now. There was another silence, then Rev's weak "sorry" was heard.

"I told Ace we'd really miss him. That the team won't ever be the same without him. Hmph...that stupid rabbit...he acted pretty calm throughout the whole thing. It got me real mad." Duck's voice said again. Lexi let out a faint gasp and Slam blinked.

"Woah...I never thought Duck would be like that..." Lexi commented quietly and the Tasmanian devil growled softly in agreement as they continued listening.

"He said he was calm because he wouldn't be able to go through with everything if he let his emotions get to him. He told me we were the best teammates he could ever ask for. You know Rev, I'm really wishing I could've done a lot more to save him. He called us the best team he could ask for but I couldn't help feeling like we sent him to his death. I know it's weird for me to be saying this but I never really had to face something like that. And I hope I never have to again."

Lexi and Slam both listened silently and sadly as Duck recounted what had happened. The whole time, Rev was quiet as well. Slam had no idea what to think. He had been sure Ace's decision to fight to his death had just about broken the team apart, but in truth it made them closer in disguise. Knowing the former Loonatics leader, he probably made sure that that would've happened one way or another, at the very least. The conversation also made the Tasmanian devil rethink the idea that Duck was no more than an ego-istic moron with minimal care for his comrades. It wasn't true at all. Well, Slam had never really thought it was completely true, but he did to a certain extent and it made him feel like the bad guy all of a sudden. He never did get the chance to get to know Duck did he? Even though Duck was considered to be his best friend. It was just ridiculous.

Duck finished the story. Another quick silence occurred.

"Hey-Duck-why-do-you-think-it's-weird-for-you-to-b e-saying-this-I-think-it's-perfectly-fine." Rev then said, and Lexi turned away. Not at all to Slam's surprise, she had tears in her eyes again. She was really greatly affected by everything, and Slam wanted to make it better, but he didn't know how, not a single clue.

"Oh don't joke with me bird-brain! I know you guys always think I'm some self-centred twit who couldn't care less about the people around me. I know I act like that but I have my reasons. And anyway, you did think Ace was the one to start chatting with me that night." Duck replied with annoyance.

"Aw-come-on-I-said-I-was-sorry!" Rev complained. Duck's teasing laughter echoed throughout the hallway.

"It's fine I was just messing with you. But thanks for asking. Well, I'd better go get some sleep before my feathers start falling off. And when Tech comes back from his joyride let him know I said he should tell the rest what's going on. That we all have the right to know, now of all times." He said to Rev. Slam couldn't see anything, and Lexi wasn't looking anymore either, but he was sure that Rev agreed to the statement since neither said any more and the static-like sound of Duck's quacking came. Lexi looked pale under the dim lights. She turned to Slam.

"We should leave before Rev sees us." She suggested and Slam just agreed as the two took off down the hall and entered Lexi's room. For a while neither of them said anything. Slam wasn't even sure why the current Loonatics leader would push him into her room, but he decided not to leave as he guessed that she probably wanted to talk to him about the conversation they just overheard. If that guess were to be entered in the lottery, Slam would be the winner of the grand prize.

"Hey Slam, what do you think of...what those two were talking about?" The female bunny asked, sitting on the floor and hugging her knees, her eyes wet but no tears were flowing. Slam sighed sadly on the inside. He knew it must be taking every ounce of Lexi's willpower to stop herself from crying. He growled an answer, saying he wasn't too sure. Listening in on the conversation had filled him with a whole churning sea of emotions he wasn't sure how to deal with. Lexi sighed and admitted she wasn't sure either.

Ace had told Duck how he really felt about everything. Sure, the mallard had somewhat forced it out of the former Loonatics leader, but still, he had shared his true feelings with Duck instead of her. Lexi couldn't help but feel jealous. Of course it was immature and stupid, but she was Ace's closest friend. She wished she had been the one to have that talk with him during his last night alive. But no. She chose to selfishly remain in her own room and cry. She didn't think about how Ace felt at the time. She only thought of how cruel he was being by leaving her wearing such a calm external façade. That was all it was, a façade. He must have been hurting too. What an idiot she was.

Slam noticed the female bunny's sudden distraught expression and sat down next to her on the floor. He put an arm around her in hopes of comforting her, though from what exactly, he didn't know. All he knew was a teammate and friend was in trouble and he wanted to help. Lexi still didn't cry, but she found herself leaning against Slam's huge upper arm and felt grateful for his presence. It was nice to have support.

"Thanks big guy." Lexi said gently as she chose to stare up at the ceiling. She replayed the conversation in her head and sighed. She tried to think about it carefully. Ace hadn't wanted to leave them at all. Of course Lexi never thought he did, but he had been acting so at ease the whole time she couldn't help but doubt that, even though that doubt barely existed. It made her realize what a fool she had been to think that. When she did, she realized what the last few sentences meant. Tech was off doing something strange again. She mentioned it to Slam, who only just seemed to realize as well. The two of them glanced at each other.

"Well, I guess I can't be emotional about Ace now, at least." Lexi said with both relief and annoyance, "Let's get to sleep, and remind me to question that coyote in the morning."

Tech reached the outskirts of the city pretty easily. Fortunately for him Rev didn't follow. He was really grateful the roadrunner decided to stay behind(though in truth Rev had planned to tail him only to be prevented from doing so by Duck). Tech wasn't sure what he may end up facing and if it turned out dangerous he would rather be in trouble alone than drag his best friend into the mess.

The coyote called out, using Ace's name as he wasn't sure how else to address the one who contacted him even if he turned out to be someone else entirely. He walked around a little, hoping to spot the guy, but after a while he started to wonder if he was pranked, called into a trap or had just gotten the wrong location. All seemed possible. Tech could only hope the third was the right guess.

Then, he saw a figure moving behind the rocks in the area. It was easy to see that he or she was wearing a cloak. The figure didn't move and looked like he or she was watching him. Tech decided to risk a small, "Excuse me?"

The figure laughed a little, sounding female. She then jumped down from the higher rocks and landed a short distance away from Tech, directing in front of the coyote. She removed the hood of her cloak, which was a vibrant indigo, revealing short blonde hair and lime green eyes that seemed extremely familiar for some reason, but Tech didn't know why. She looked human, but she wasn't anyone he'd seen before.

"So you came after all. Follow me." the strangely familiar girl said before she took off in the direction Tech's back was facing. He jumped when she did and turned around to see her already quite far. Wow, that was some speed, though it was nowhere near Rev's speed without his powers. Still, it was fast for a human.

"Wait! Who are you?! Where's Ace?" Tech shouted as he ran after her, almost considering to rely on his jetpack to catch up to her. "And how'd you expect me to follow you when you're moving so fast?!"

"Sorry smarty-pants, but the guy who called you...wait, you thought he was Ace Bunny?!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, so surprised she stopped in her tracks right in the middle of the sprint. She was staring at him with a completely arrogant look of disbelief. "You mean all the time he spent wasting his energy to send you those messages, you never took a good look at who he really was and how beat up he was?!"

She looked really annoyed. Tech wasn't exactly sure why, but at least he got confirmation that this person, the one who contacted him, wasn't Ace. Did that mean he was really...no, he shouldn't think of that at the moment. Making himself depressed wouldn't help anything. However, the confirmation also raised several new questions for him. If that wasn't Ace, who was it? And why would he want or need to use Ace's voice and help them? Nothing made sense. Tech shook his head.

"Well sorry about that. But really, who are you?" he asked again after the weak apology. The girl looked even more annoyed, but she answered him nonetheless.

"My name is Nutrix. I'm one of the Blue Guardians." she confessed. Tech was shocked, to say the least. The girl, Nutrix, she said, was a member of the enemy group? At once Tech took up a defensive position. When she saw that, she put her hand to her head in an exasperated gesture and sighed.

"Calm down, I'm on your side. If I wasn't I'd have attacked you by now when you were caught off guard." Nutrix pointed out. Tech still didn't trust her, but he back down a little. Then he decided to bring up the question of why she would even be on his side.

"Let's just say it's because of a guy I like, and that's who I'm taking you to meet." she paused before continuing, "And do me a favour. When you see him, don't lash out. At least hear him out before you make the choice to listen to him or not. It's the least you could do since he's been trying so hard to contact you all and help prevent the disaster my comrades are planning."

"Why would you think I would lash out at whoever this is when I don't even know him?" Tech asked, getting more and more confused. Nutrix let out another sigh.

"You know him alright. Anyway you'll see when you get there. He's really weakened right now, and he can barely move so I want to get back to him as soon as possible." Another pause, but this one left a worried and almost sad expression on Nutirx's face. "You could kill him right then and there if you want, he said he wouldn't resist if you really want it, but please just promise to leave him alone until he's done explaining. Or you'll never learn the things you really need to know."

"K-K-Kill him?! Why on Acmetropolis would anyone want to do that?!" Tech exclaimed, completely and utterly perplexed. This however, lead to Nutrix shouting at him to just shut up and promise. Unable to find any other option, Tech agreed. Nutrix looked relieved, then she told Tech once again to follow her quickly. She took off again and the coyote did his best to keep up. A while later, they came to an unusual rock formation and Nutrix showed Tech that there was a small secret passage craved into the side of the rock, and pulled him inside. It was dark, but before long Nutrix somehow lit up a torch on the side of the wall and the light spread to the rest of the cave in an instant. When it did, both Nutrix and Tech were horrified to see someone lying on the ground near the back, writhing in pain. A second later, he let out a scream of agony. Nutrix rushed to him at once without a word, but a look of pure worry was on her face. Tech on the other hand was more petrified than anything else. Why? It was because the person on the ground suffering from immense pain was a rabbit anthro, fully suited in a yellow-themed Loonatics uniform. He had both his hand on his head, just clutching them as he was tormented, and Nutrix fell to her knees next to him and her hands glowed. A few painfully slow minutes later, the rabbit anthro calmed down. He kept his eyes shut and was gasping desperately for air.

"I told you not to exert yourself! There's only so much my healing can do for you!" Nutrix shouted at him. Then she glanced over at the coyote, noticing this distress.

"You promised." she told him, but he didn't really hear her. His gaze was focused on the rabbit anthro. No...it couldn't be...

The rabbit anthro opened his eyes to reveal the prism-like orbs Tech remembered all too clearly. He was Chaos Ace.

**Finally! **

**I revealed who the one causing Tech and the rest perpetually scarring headaches was! But there are still a lot of things left waiting to happen so please don't miss the next instalments. So far, we're nowhere near the end but things will start getting REALLY dramatic from here on out! Enjoy! Xyla, out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally! **

**The Mother of all Evil(exam period) has come to an end! …okay that was a little too dramatic and stupid…haha! But seriously it finally ended today and I can post my newest chapter. Unfortunately…the next is only halfway done…I didn't even touch the computer or any other electronical devices that could possibly help me write it out during the exam period so I apologize but only one chapter is out right now. The next one shouldn't take too long though. Hopefully. However I must warn you, I had picked a veeeeerrrrrrrry appropriate time (note stupid sarcasm) to get seriously, and I mean seriously, obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh!, which was one of my favourite childhood anime. I came across what was dubbed as Season 0 on YouTube, which I had missed when I was younger (to my utter disgrace), and before I knew it I started to re-watch and re-read every bit of the anime all seasons and the manga and even called my guardian in Japan to send me the card collection I had since I was seven but forgot to take it to Singapore due to forgetfulness and other stuff. I must be crazy…so basically, I might get a little occupied with all that…sorry. ^^;**

**Well anyway this chapter is pretty weird and confusing especially if you haven't read [The Chaos Crystal] so this is the last warning for anyone who hasn't read that: GO READ IT! Still, it has my usual anime-sappiness in it so for those who don't like it, you'll cringe. But I have some good news for you too, down at the last few paragraphs. So enjoy it! But first:**

**Review replies:**

**starskulls****: My gods calm down star or you'll blow a hole in my computer screen. Yep, school basically just plain tortures people mentally. Anyway glad you liked the previous chapter, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too! More surprises await! I am still not giving spoilers! ^^ And one more thing, Nutrix is really nice but there's something really different about her! **

**AnimeGirl 144****: Good to know you're better. Glad my previous previous chapter helped by the way. Do you dislike nurses? Why did you suspect them so much? Though they do play certain special roles in the story. I can't tell you exactly what kind of roles they'll get, so you'll have to wait and see as usual. Well I like making Duck emotional and nice and I wanted him and Rev to have a little heart-to-heart since they hardly seem close in the show, to my disappointment. Well Chaos Ace is a really important key character now so you have to deal with it! Ehehehehehe! **

**Ooi Shi Yi: ****Haha! Of course I'll write more. I just took a quick break for exams. Now as the author I welcome you to the story! _0**

**NickiRockit****: Oh good for you if you realized it slightly earlier! Hahaha I'm so glad to see you're really enjoying this! Hey are you mad about Chaos Ace coming back like most of the others? They all seem to ready to kill him but you're saying 'there's hope' so I'm just a little confused. Sorry…well, your wait is over, for now.**

**FanFicCriTicTheThird: ****Hello! Welcome to the story! I thank you for all the Favs and Follows! And also, thanks for the reviews on [The Chaos Crystal]! I'll just reply to you here since you're following. Well, I do angst pretty decently and I love any character with sad backstories and I end up crying for them a lot. And I watch a lot of sad anime too. You never really did have to review if you didn't want or felt like you needed to. As a writer I long for feedback but I don't like forcing people into giving it. So no problem with the reviewing! I'm really just glad you did in the end. Oh and it wasn't a knife trick in the previous story. Rev really did stab Ace, he just couldn't die. (If anyone else reads my reply to you and haven't read the previous story they're so gonna kill me for the spoilers^^;) I assume you finished reading all that's posted so far? Well then you can now enjoy new stuff! **

**Done. Phew this one was a little longer than the usual. Didn't realize that my break for exams would result in so much feedback, including one from the past(story, I mean), not that it's a bad thing. Now at least, you guys can get on with the story! So please excuse me while I go watch another ten episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! before I sleep.**

PART EIGHT: HAUNTINGS OF THE PAST

Tech could feel his blood boiling at the sight of those prism-like eyes. He could feel an unbearable rage building up in him. He actually growled. Chaos Ace, the one who caused so many problems, the one who caused the real Ace's death, was alive. Weak, but alive. Ace had died trying to kill him and yet he survived. It felt like Ace's death was all for nothing. The coyote took a step forward, and for the first time in his life, felt that he didn't mind becoming a cold-blooded murderer.

"Hold it. You promised." Nutrix repeated, reminding him of the agreement they had. Tech was thus distracted and turned his gaze to the human on the indigo cloak. Why was she protecting him? He was an enemy! And if she was helping him...

"So you were an enemy the whole time?! You lied to me when you said you were on my side!?" Tech yelled aggressively, more aggressively than he ever had as he raised his voice in a way he normally wouldn't have done. Nutrix flinched at his tone, not expecting him to react that violently, but then Chaos Ace forced himself to his feet. He coughed and was breathing heavily, but he clearly refused to sit down.

"Nutrix...wasn't lyin'..." He said in a soft voice. Tech was still angry, but he knew that as a protector of Acmetropolis he had to honour a promise. So he forced himself to calm down. After all, the only deal was to hear him out. Depending on what he had to say, however, Tech had been given permission to take him down if he saw it fit. And he decided that a little wait would be a small price to pay for being able to get revenge on Chaos Ace. However, it was only then did Tech manage to think logically enough to take note of a few things.

For one thing, Chaos Ace wasn't the same. He had been an insane, malicious entity bent on destroying everything and everyone around him just to laugh at their remains. He had forced the Loonatics to fight with their leader then lead him to his death. He was the cause of all the emotional turmoil within the group. But he wasn't like that at all right then. He was speaking with such a soft voice, containing no malice, only something more like desperation and perhaps-was it possible?-regret. That was strange.

Another thing was that he looked exactly like he was last seen by the Loonatics. Fully suited and such. But if he did survive for two whole months, he definitely would've gotten a change of clothes somehow. But there was also something else. With clear light and Chaos Ace fully standing before him, the coyote noticed something shocking, which almost erased all aggressive thoughts from his mind, at least for a little while.

Chaos Ace was fading. His entire body was just flickering in and out of existence. It was as if he would just dissolve if anyone so much as made the faintest physical contact possible with him. What was going on?

"T'anks...fer comin' here." Chaos Ace carried on, looking at the ground with an unreadable expression. "I'm sorry I had ta make ya see me again...I know ya all hate me more d'an anythin', but ya hafta at least hear me out fer now. Please."

Tech couldn't believe it. Chaos Ace was begging him. Something just wasn't right. The coyote paused for a second and stared at him. The air in the room was tense and Nutrix was at the side wondering what to do, afraid that any small action she took would be like setting off two nuclear bombs. Then, Tech finally sighed.

"Sit down and talk. I already promised that I'd listen. What I do afterwards, we'll just have to see how things turn out." Tech said, folding his arms across his chest with a still firm expression. Chaos Ace looked genuinely surprised, but then nodded and sat down. He looked nervous, a look Tech never thought he'd see on the possessed bunny's face. Was he even still possessed in fact? The coyote had traded his initial rage and shock for confusion, though not all of the previous feelings were completely gone. There was still just the slightest trace left of those feelings as he stared and waited for a reply.

Chaos Ace took a deep breath, then started to tell Tech everything.

"Well Tech, ya see, two months ago, when ya all trapped me and d'en left da scene leavin' Ace and me behind, I'll tell ya tat Ace said somethin' tat triggered somethin' in me. It was a weird feelin', but I remembered somethin' important. I didn't know I had forgotten until tat moment. I know dis is gonna sound hard ta believe, but it's true. Ya see, I was neva created ta be any sorta weapon. My creation, as the Chaos Crystal, was an accident. I was neva meant ta exist."

"Wha...What...?" Tech gasped, taken aback by the new information. Sure, he had always thought that the Chaos Crystal was one thing that should have never been created, but to think that the whole time that had been completely true to every party involved? Chaos Ace, being the crystal in the form of the former Loonatics leader, was the one telling him that too, no less. Unable to properly respond he allowed Chaos Ace to continue.

"Ya know about how I was sent ta Tundrez right? As crystal fragments? Da Tundrez people believed it was an invasion, probably due ta what happened when I got scattered. But da truth was I was actually discarded, da people of da planet I was created on had gathered data from several dimensions as parta d'eir resoich. But at da time I proved ta be too unstable. Da weirdest part of it all fer d'em was when d'ey found out somethin'...tat I...I had a consciousness...outta all d'ose otha fragments, only my piece had one. Dis scared d'em and d'ey threw me onta da only planet d'ey thought would be a safe place ta discard me and all da otha fragments, since d'ey were scared da othas would end up like me."

Tech's jaw dropped. The Chaos Crystal was actually a simple research piece taken from several different dimensions? And it gained a consciousness? How was that even possible?! The crystal fragment should have been no more than a simple rock then! But then, Tech thought about it and remembered that the logic that applied to his own dimension wasn't the same in others. For all he knew, coyotes could be feathered in one of them. Hey, who was he to question the other dimensions of he'd never been there? (Not that he wanted to go...)

"Wait, what would have been so bad about your having a consciousness?" Tech asked, feeling weird when he actually said that, due to various reasons, but he decided to at least try and accept all he was hearing. Nutrix sat closer to him than Chaos Ace though. The coyote wondered if it was to attack him should he show hostility. Well, he wasn't keen on finding out. Luckily, Chaos Ace carried on the conversation.

"Well a consciousness can be associated with a lota thin's. Maybe d'ey were afraid I'd learn d'eir secrets or somethin'. But over a period of time, I think I gained feelin's. I got angry at d'em fer abandoning me like tat, like I was an unwanted little child. I neva realized how deadly da anger was until I lost control of myself. Somehow it was projected ta all da otha fragments. Seeing da Tundrez people made me mad, as I wasn't a proper livin' being lien d'ey were and could neva have a life. I ended up losin' myself in da madness of it all and that's how the crystals started ta possess people."

Tech really wasn't sure what to believe. The story sounded so incredible, so unlikely, so ridiculous it felt like an entire string of lies. But at the same time, Tech saw that the discomfort and guilt that was eating away at Chaos Ace before his eyes were completely real. What's more, he described everything in so much detail it was convincing at the same time. He couldn't be lying. The coyote remained quiet, though, and allowed the possessed bunny to carry on yet again.

"Fer a while, it felt good. Ta be able ta make sure no one got ta be happy and instead was stuck like me. But once I combined with da otha crystal pieces ta actually form da Chaos Crystal"-Chaos Ace winced when he said those two words-"I started ta realize what I was doin'. Destroying thin's around me wasn't what I wanted, even d'ough I thought it was. Then...I tried ta stop it, but before long I was consumed again. I only remember wishing and wishing someone'll break me. D'en...I went nuts fer real."

Tech was silent as he absorbed all the information the possessed bunny had just told him. It sounded so surreal, but he could believe it, even if it was Chaos Ace telling him the truth of it all. He looked at Chaos Ace, who had his head lowered and was averting his gaze. Tech wanted to think he was lying about it all, just pulling him along so he could take him and the other Loonatics down when he had the chance with the Blue Guardians. But he didn't. He could actually trust the possessed bunny's words. So he didn't question anything he was told. Instead, he moved on to the next topic.

"Alright. What does all this have to do with Ace, us, and everything else that's been going on? And the Blue Guardians? You did try and tell me something about them when you successfully contacted me for the first time earlier."

"Well, Ace wasn't like any of da otha hosts. He was more strong-willed d'an all of d'em combined. As an insane rock, I made a mistake choosing him as my host, but now, I'm not regrettin' it a bit." Chaos Ace answered, and Tech felt a bit of pride for Ace at the statement.

"Anyways, he fought with more detoimination d'an anyone else I've ever possessed. Ta think he was able ta stay conscious even when I took ova. He toined my own powers against me and tried to get himself killed more d'an once fer his team. I guess it reminded me of what I've always been jealous of. Tat every one else had at least one companion ta care fer. He broke me when he told me how important ya guys were ta him. I couldn't rememba anythin' otha d'an wanting' ta destroyin' thin's around me until tat moment. Tat's why I released him."

"You...what...?" Tech stammered, unable to form words when Chaos Ace said that. The possessed bunny nodded.

"Ace is still alive."

Zadavia woke up to find that it was past four in the morning in the Loonatics HQ's medical room. She blinked, then groaned when she fully realized the fact. She sat up. No one else was in the room with her. Not that it was anything surprising. However, she was surprised by one thing. The pain in her side was completely gone, and even the wound itself have vanished into nothingness. That wasn't possible. She may be from an alien race but it wasn't one that possessed natural regeneration or rapid healing. Her body was basically the same as almost any Acmetropolian human or anthro in that aspect. So how did the wound heal so easily?

There was no one to answer her question though, so she decided to put it off for a while. It wasn't as if she would figure anything out by sitting there alone in the dark. Besides, she had to admit she was a little thirsty. She needed some water.

She got herself off the bed, then realized she was still a little fatigued. Huh...so the pain was gone but not her own exhaustion from the ordeal against Bellator. Well, it was better than bleeding to death. The Freeling ruler grimaced at the thought. About how useless she honestly thought she had been against the Blue Guardian member. Lexi was in serious danger and she jumped it without thinking, not that the female bunny minded, but still. Bellator was far stronger than she had expected. She had managed some damage, but it wasn't even enough to drive him off. She and Lexi ended up being saved by Slam and a nurse who stole a police vehicle.

Zadavia sighed. The talk she had with Lexi had eased her mind on the subject, but she couldn't help thinking about what may have happened if she hadn't made it in time to save Lexi the first time. She was scared. After what happened to Ace, she couldn't help it. He had been almost crushed to death by choosing to protect his friends instead of himself, then when he came out of it alive the entire situation with the Chaos Crystal came and he had to be killed, though indirectly, by his own hand. She had always found that to be far too cruel. It wasn't fair.

Zadavia was angry at the Chaos Crystal situation. With Deuce for bringing the cursed stone into Acmetropolis and planning the events of the incident carefully, with herself for not noticing things sooner and preventing the entire thing from happening, and with those who created the crystals in the first place. She had never felt so much rage and sadness before in her life. Even when she threw her own brother into imprisonment, she hadn't felt such pain, though it had been close. Zadavia set the glass of water she got on the counter-top, placing a hand to her forehead.

"Ugh...since when did I ever learn to let this kind of thing affect me so greatly...?" She wondered aloud, then winced as it sounded a little more arrogant than what she had intended. Shaking her head, she picked up the glass of water again and went to sit on the couch in the main room. She stared out the windows at the dark night skies, not at all feeling homesick. Acmetropolis had been a much better home for her than Freeling had ever been, as the planet had been extremely strict and being part of the royal family, life there had been incredibly demanding. It was why she loved the Loonatics so much. They gave her a reason to stay. She knew that one day, she'd have to return to her planet to rule, but it wasn't the time yet. However, with the team almost broken, she wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to make things better for them, so she'd been visiting them in person often, though she was starting to wonder if it was to give herself closure. She felt somehow guilty, even though she knew she did nothing wrong.

"I'm over-thinking things..." She muttered to herself as she took a sip of water. Then, she heard a sound. It wasn't clear, but it was a faint sound of something heavy being dropped. She was immediately alert. Could some intruder have entered the HQ tower? Feeling worried, or may e it was paranoia due to her uneased mind, Zadavia decided to go check it out. She heard nothing more for a while as she walked through the dark and empty hallways, but then she heard another sound, which was more like something was scratching one of the metal doors in the tower rather than a thump. This got her confused. What was going on? She followed the scratching sound, which didn't stop. She moved as quietly as possible, and the sound got louder, but it stop just as Zadavia thought she found the source. Unsure of where to go next, as the sound coincidentally stopped right when she reached a fork in the hallways, she paused and considered her options. Left or right? It seemed like an easy choice but it wasn't. Zadavia knew the right led to the generator room, and the left was towards the Loonatics members' rooms. Both directions would lead her to metal doors.

"What...? Where was that coming from?!" Zadavia exclaimed softly. She really had no idea where to go, so she decided to wait a bit and see if the sound would come back. To her surprise there was another sound altogether, this time, it sounded like knocking. It came from the direction of the Loonatics' rooms. Zadavia rushed left. The knocking continued, getting louder and louder, and it didn't stop even after the Loonatics boss reached the area. To her shock, she realized exactly where the knocking came from.

Ace's room.

There shouldn't be anyone in there. Zadavia knew Lexi would sometimes go into the room to try and comfort herself, but that never occurred at night. She always did that in the day, as she once said it felt uncomfortable at night. But the knocking definitely came from inside. Zadavia felt a chill run down her spine. Reluctantly she approached the door, and with a deep breath, she opened it and stepped inside. The lights were turned off, so it was dark. The Loonatics boss felt around for the light switch, making sure the doorway was blocked just in case, and soon the room was filled with reassuring light. However, Zadavia's emerald eyes widened as she found no on in the room, and the knocking had ceased completely.

"There's...no one here...?" She whispered in disbelief, not really sure what to think at that moment. The knocking had definitely come from Ace's room, but it was almost deathly quiet already. No sound came from anywhere. But then Zadavia heard something else yet again, footsteps were approaching her, and she turned to see all the Loonatics standing behind her, all except for Tech. She blinked.

"Zadavia?" Duck inquired, "What are you doing here?"

"And why are you up? Your injuries were serious you shouldn't be walking around yet." Lexi said with a worried tone. But the Loonatics boss only shook her head.

"No Lexi, for some reason when I woke up earlier, I found that all my injuries had completely healed, though I'm still exhausted to an extent." She explained and patted her side a little to give minor proof of her words. All four pairs of eyes widened at her.

"Gosh-Zadavia-what-happened-there-should-be-no-way -you-could've-healed-that-quickly-though-it's-not- exactly-a-bad-thing-just-that-that's-really-weird- since-you-told-us-before-that-you-didn't-have-any- kind-of-healing-powers-not-that-I'm-trying-to-offe nd-you-or-anything-just-well-I'm-really-pretty-con fused-so..." Rev went on before Duck clamped down on the roadrunner's beak.

"Basically, how'd that happen?" The mallard asked. Zadavia felt almost relieved that Duck did that. Her exhaustion made her easily dizzy so she was unable to keep up with Rev properly for once. Still, she was well enough to keep the conversation going.

"i don't know how I recovered. I have to say I'm extremely confused myself." She answered, then addressed the other situation and dropped the subject of how she healed, "Anyway why are you all awake and where is Tech?"

A brief silence fell over them, and Lexi took a deep breath before replying. "Tech's apparently busy, but just now, you heard the knocking sounds too didn't you Zadavia?"

Zadavia was a little concerned when the current Loonatics leader mentioned that Tech was away, but then the mention of the knocking caught her full attention. "You've all heard it?"

The team members nodded, all looking nervous. Zadavia asked them why they looked that way at once. Lexi was the one to answer first.

"The truth is, Zadavia," she said quietly in a solemn tone, "this kind of thing has been frequently happening since...two months ago...after Ace died..."

Duck took it from there. "We don't get what's going on. It doesn't happen every night, but all of us would actually hear a lot of strange sounds in the middle of the night and wake up to find it's coming from here, every single time. But we don't know if it's some sorta coincidence, but the sounds always stop once we get inside."

Zadavia's face was stern. "Why...why haven't you all told me about this the entire time?"

Slam growled an apology and guilty looks replaced the nervous ones on the Loonatics' faces. None of them knew exactly what to say, but Rev took a deep breath and started to explain. The seriousness of the situation slowed his speech again, but not as much as before at least.

"We're-sorry-Zadavia...we-just-thought-that-if-we- told-you-you'd-get-needlessly-worried-or-maybe-thi nk-we-were-just-hallucinating-while-we-were-still- trying-to-cope-with...you-know..." He told her carefully, not wanting to offend her but he was unfortunately at a shortage of words that could do that and deliver the message properly. Zadavia did stiffen at his words, but Lexi cut in before she could say a few of her own.

"Zadavia it's not we don't trust you, but none of us can explain what's going on and we all thought that we could have all been hearing things, as unlikely as it sounds. We just...didn't want anyone to tell us we were...you know, just hearing things that aren't there." The female bunny looked at the floor as she finished the sentence. The Loonatics boss wasn't too sure what to think. She felt slightly betrayed, but she could understand why they would feel that way. In all honestly she was sure she would have reacted the same way. The team members had all been a lot closer to Ace than she ever had, so she couldn't feel the exact amount of grief the team did, but she had felt something similar with losing her brother at the time. It had hurt bad. She sighed.

"It's alright. I don't blame you all. This is a hard thing to explain, I suppose." The Loonatics boss told the team, giving them a faint, yet reassuring, smile. This seemed to cheer them up a little. Even though it wasn't by much, Zadavia was satisfied for the moment.

"But now that I've heard it myself, I can believe that it's true at least. We should try and find out what is going on." She paused. "Well, for now it's not causing much harm so perhaps we should put off this investigation for after we deal with the current situations."

Of course, Zadavia was referring to the Blue Guardians issue. They were a definite threat and their goals were still unknown. "Unless this strange sounds actually cause trouble, we should set our priorities right. The Blue Guardian are a much more dire concern."

"Yeah..." Lexi muttered as she let out a sigh of disappointment. Zadavia could tell she wanted to figure it out, considering it was probably something related to Ace, as it was his room they were all led into. The Loonatics boss shook her head, then ushered them out of the room. She shut the lights and closed the door, keeping whatever may have been inside then trapped inside.

Ace woke up screaming, or at least he thought he did. Everything around him was still far too dark, far too empty. He was simply floating in an abyss of nothingness.

Where was he? What was he doing there? Ace clutched his head. It hurt. It hurt. What was going on?!

"Argh...! S-Stop...! No...!" He yelled without much energy. Wherever he was, whatever it was he was in, it was draining him quickly, and he knew he would soon dry out. But he didn't want to leave just yet. Yes, he wanted the pain to go away, but he wanted something more. He wasn't sure what it even was, truthfully, but he knew it was something he simply had to have. It was invisible in the empty darkness though, and Ace had to run around in circles, more like float around actually, looking for whatever it was. He couldn't explain the need for the unknown thing. He just knew it was extremely important.

"What're ya lookin' fer?" His own voice mocked from somewhere within the darkness, "Why search fer somethin' ya can't even rememba?"

"Shut up!" Ace yelled in reply, and the pain in his head intensified, "Just leave me alone!"

"Have it yer way doc." His voice replied and faded away with an unnaturally maniacal laugh. Ace shivered. He could remember this entire scenario playing out sometime before. Every single time it was exactly the same, but he could never prevent himself from feeling immense terror when he heard that laugh, in his own voice no less.

"Please...just stop…stop already...!" Ace pleaded as the voice disappeared completely. The pain in his head became worse and worse, and before too long he couldn't even stand anymore. He lost his footing and the invisible ground below him vanished. He began to fall. Fall and fall as his consciousness slipped away from him.

"Every...time...always...the same..." He muttered in defeat, "Help me...somebody...make it stop...!"

The same. It was always the same. The dark empty space, the mocking, insane laughter, the voice that matched his own, and the pain that came with it all. What was he looking for? Why was it so important? Why did he have to be put through his mental torment? Was he even still conscious? Or was he still sleeping in reality? Then, a bright light blinded him just as he was about to black out completely, and the sound of a bloodcurling scream woke him up for real.

**Yep!**

**I did it. I turned Chaos Ace into a good guy! Mwahahahaha! Bet'cha all you dislikers are gonna attack me when you have the chance. Oh well, at the very least you finally know that Ace is ALIVE! I also bet you can all tell where he is already, but there are certain factors that may prove you wrong! Who knows? See ya next time people!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay! **

**I managed to post this chapter one day after the previous! I don't have much to say since the interval between the two is really short for once and since I only got two reviews by this time, the author notes sections will be shorter today. I'm still wondering how people are reacting to the nice and sappy Chaos Ace. I honestly wanna slap him and hug him at the same time. Oh yeah, what does "glomp" mean? I've been seeing it in a lot of hugging anime pictures recently…I'm only familiar with basic English at the moment. I lived in Japan remember?**

**Review reply time:**

**AnimeGirl 144: Oh…I see now. Of course a lot of the OCs in the story are the bad guys but there are some who aren't. I don't like using OCs myself much but they came out better than I thought. The antagonist in the story? There's more than one remember? Yeah I made Chaos Ace have a sappy story and I love it. Of course what I typed for him kinda bended reality in there but oh well! And LOL to your last comment in the brackets!**

**NickyRockit: Haha, you sure guessed well there. Right now the story has finally begun on its journey to the main plot. I see you have a lot of questions. Don't worry that chapter with the answers to those particular ones is coming up soon. Um…do you like the ending or not? I know it's a little freaky or something but I really couldn't stand not writing about him anymore! And since I revealed that he's alive somewhere already I had to add that in. No more of those will come though, at least not before Ace really comes back in. Hehe, thanks for being patient! Here's some cookies while you wait. *hands over a huge tin of (insert favourite flavour of cookie here) cookies with a HUGE red ribbon on top***

**Done, since I only updated yesterday(I'm repeating myself). So now enjoy this chapter please!**

PART NINE: FLAMES

Lexi suddenly felt a sharp, familiar pain in her head. Everyone did actually, right after the door to Ace's room closed. It was only in their heads for once. Normally they would have felt that pain in both their heads and chests. Zadavia revealed right then that she had been experiencing similar pains before as well, as all five of them gasped in pain at the exact same time. The Loonatics boss never found it necessary to tell them as she had thought it to be no more than a prolonged migraine. They didn't really affect her race as much as they did humans, so to her it had been something minor and not worth talking about. Lexi sighed. She had felt that way at first as well. But then she found the rest of the team felt the pain too when she did.

"Not again. How many times is this gonna happen?" Duck complained, a hand on his head. Lexi didn't like the way he said it, like he wasn't worried or didn't care, but her opinion of Duck had improved quite a bit since she overheard the conversation between him and Rev, so she said nothing. Besides, she had to admit, silently, that she agreed.

"But-it's-a-little-different-this-time-for-some-re ason-I-wonder-if-something-really-bad-is-going-on. ..?" Rev commented, also holding his head, but with a confused and concerned expression on his face rather than an annoyed one like Duck's.

"Don't jinx it bird-brain!" The mallard exclaimed and Rev frowned.

"You-know-Duck-I-never-got-that-joke-you're-also-a -bird-anthro-aren't-you?" He asked and the mallard face-palmed. He let out an exaggerated sigh and looked like he was about to say something else, but was unexpectedly cut off by the city distress alarm. Everyone jumped, including Zadavia, which was something unusual. Clearly, the entire issue of the knocking uneased her as much as the rest of them. However, it didn't last too long.

"Loonatics! The mission room, now!" She ordered and they all ran to the room they almost always gathered in to receive missions (though the Loonatics themselves preferred to call it the meeting room). Once they got there, Rev being the first, Zadavia hurried to shut off the alarm and find out what triggered it. On the screen in front of her, an image of the Acmetropolis General Hospital appeared, and part of it was destroyed and burning. Lexi was beyond horrified.

"No...not the hospital!" She exclaimed, unable to control herself any longer. Many helpless and innocent patients were staying within those walls, doctors and nurses alone wouldn't be able to protect them all. And judging from the damage, it didn't seem like the team had much time to help.

"Let's go guys, we can't waste any time!" The current Loonatics leader commanded and with swift nods of agreement the team bolted for their rooms to suit up, then they all headed to their nearest ship.

"I will come along." Zadavia decided, once they were all ready, "You will need all the help you can get."

All Lexi could do at the moment was give her a grateful look as they boarded the ship. All took their positions. Before long they took off and flew to the hospital at full speed.

Once they got there, they immediately jumped directly off the ship, leaving it suspended-parked right above the building. They all headed to the most damaged area. To their horror, it was the hall where Jack and many other stay-in patients' rooms were. Worst of all, it was in flaming ruins, the fires still burning brightly and fiercely like they were flames from Hell itself. Needless to say, the Loonatics and their boss were absolutely horrified.

"Rev go get some water, lots of it!" Lexi commanded and Rev gave a swift nod before he sped down the clear hallways at the speed of a bullet train. Lexi then turned to Slam and Duck.

"Slam use your power a little to keep the flames at bay but not too much of you'll spread them further. Duck use your eggs to try and put out the flames before Rev gets back." She told them and they set to work at once, though Duck did make a quick side comment, though it was one of worry more than anything else, about how he wasn't sure he would be able to get the 'sticky-goo' eggs so easily, which were the best to tame the fires at the moment. Zadavia quickly created a few mobile barriers around all of them, for extra protection, and she and Lexi decided to go in and try and find anyone who didn't manage to escape. Slam and Duck had gone ahead, but just before the two girls follow, a familiar voice yelled to them.

"Lexi! Miss Zadavia!" It was Lyra, and she was badly burned and bleeding. However, she was obviously forcing herself to move. At once Lexi reacted to her voice.

"Lyra what are you doing you have to get away from here!" The female bunny exclaimed, but Lyra grasped her shoulder firmly, making it clear that she needed to say something before they went in. Her other hand was putting pressure on her side, which was bleeding more than it should've. She coughed a little, actually coughing out blood, but didn't allow herself to relax, or let Lexi or Zadavia say another word before she did.

"Jack...you have to save Jack! He's...he's still inside...!" She gasped out, and Lexi's eyes widened. But before she could say anything else, again, she was stopped by Lyra.

"He...he saved me and some of the other patients...but then...he had one of his...episodes...and rushed back into the fire, screaming...please! You must save him...!" She begged them, her eyes desperate. She seemed so panicked she definitely must have known the fire wasn't the only threat to Jack. Something else was clearly very wrong. But...Jack had saved her and the other patients despite his own unstable condition...? How? Why? Lexi hadn't seen Jack yet, but she had a very strange feeling in her chest, and her stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with a million butterflies. But she couldn't ponder over it at the moment. She had to rescue the rabbit anthro first. As the leader of the city's protectors, it was her duty. She promised Lyra she would save Jack, told the nurse to find a safe place to relax when she could, then she and Zadavia charged into the flames. If Lexi had been a little more attentive, she would have noticed the figures standing behind Lyra as the nurse dropped to her knees, her energy completely drained.

"He should be in his room. We have to hurry." Zadavia said, and Lexi agreed, but silently. The door was shut and locked, but Lexi blasted it down easily with one direct brain blast. She was nervous. Lyra mentioned that Jack had and episode...for someone who was in a hospital without memory, that wasn't good news at all. Plus, the fact that she was told he looked identical to Ace wasn't helping anything. But Lexi knew she'd have to deal with it no matter what. They went in.

The room was unbearably hot. There were flames and smoke and ashes everywhere, but Jack was in a corner, shivering and shaking and clutching his head with his hands. His back was facing Lexi and Zadavia, but the female bunny was absolutely shocked to see how he resembled Ace from the back alone. That, and the fact that he seemed so unnaturally terrified, agonized. What was...

"ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Jack screamed without warning and the two girls jumped. Jack crashed to the floor, curling up in a foetal position and clutching his head harder. At once the flames around him seemed to intensify, as of reacting to his agony and enjoying it.

"S-S-STOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPP!" Jack screamed again and the flames grew bigger and bigger as they threatened to swallow the rabbit anthro, like a horrible beast that had cornered its helpless prey. However, Jack didn't notice this, instead keeping his eyes shut the entire time and begging for everything around him to just stop.

"Jack! We're here to help! Please come with us!" Zadavia called, but Jack didn't respond. Not to her. Then, a flaming lamp which had been hanging from the ceiling fell, its suspension wire having snapped from the intense heat.

Lexi wasn't sure what to do. Once she saw Jack's face, even though his eyes weren't open, she couldn't hold back her shock and disbelief, not one bit. Every feature of him looked like Ace. And his voice, and the accent, matched perfectly. A perfect copy. Jack was a perfect copy of Ace. Thinking of that made the current Loonatics leader unable to speak or move, and any attempts Zadavia made to snap her out of it was ignored. However, the instant the wire snapped and the lamp fell towards an unaware Jack, Lexi's body moved on its own and she made a mad dash for the rabbit anthro in front of her. She tackled him and managed to get them both out of the way of the lamp as it smashed into many pieces of the bit of floor Jack had been on just mere seconds ago. At this, the rabbit anthro's eyes shot open, revealing electric blue orbs Lexi had only seen on one other person. Ace. The similarities were unbelievable.

"A...Ace...?" She whispered cautiously, staring at him without a clear sense of what she was feeling. She ignored the flames around them and Zadavia's constant orders directed at her, telling her to get to safety. But when Jack turned to look her in the eye, she just lost it. She wasn't even sure what was going on anymore. But before either bunny could say a word, they were both doused in water from a high-pressure emergency hose, Rev standing at the door and spraying every inch if the room with all his might. Duck was beside him, using his Aqua Dense to help reach the smaller flames hidden in nook and crannies of the room. The fire stood no chance.

"R-Rev?! Duck?!" Lexi exclaimed in surprise. Rev just gave her a quick nod then zoomed away to check on the other areas for any remaining flames. Duck on the other hand was staring at Jack with his beak hanging open. It was his first time seeing him as well as Lexi's. In fact, only Tech and Rev had seen him. Zadavia looked slightly taken aback as well at the resemblance. Jack, however, had turned away from Lexi, his eyes looking down and his ears droopy. He was still trembling, but it was clear that he had calmed down considerably. Lexi stood, then offered her hand to him to pull him up. He glanced at her hand, but in the end he didn't accept the offer and stood up on his own.

"Uh...t'anks. But I'm good." He told her awkwardly, still not looking at her and instead scratching the back of his head with an upset expression on his face. He made sure to avoid all their gazes. That made little sense. She had just saved his life and instead of acting grateful he was acting confused. To a certain extent she was a little mad, but, remembering that he had suffered from a panic attack a few minutes ago, she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to upset him further.

"O...Okay then." She said instead, "Um...I'm gonna go check out the other rooms in case there are still others here."

She was about to leave the room, walking past Duck, who was still staring at Jack with his beak hanging open, and Zadavia, who had gotten over her own shock already but was simply waiting for Lexi to finished. However, before she fully reached the door, her internal conflict and the urge to ask him if he was Ace killing her inside, Jack stopped her.

"Ya...Ya dun hafta do tat. I got everyone outta here already. I double-checked earlier and da last person was Lyra." He told her, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking down at the scorched floor. Lexi turned to him in surprise. She wasn't to sure what surprised her more at that moment, the fact that Jack braved the flames to save others despite his own safety and condition, even double-checking, even though that thought had already flashed through her mind once before, or the fact that Jack looked so...guilty. What would he have to be guilty for?

Despite these thoughts, Lexi also wasn't sure what to make of his uncanny resemblance to the former Loonatics leader. Why did they look so similar to each other? Could Ace really have survived somehow and ended up as him, or was it something else? Why did he look like Ace? Why, why? Then he asked one particular question which nearly made her snap.

"Um...Lexi is it?" He asked cautiously first, then not waiting for an answer he asked his other question, the one he probably shouldn't have, "Both ya and yer friend, Rev, mentioned dis name...called me tat...but...who's...who's Ace...?"

Lexi felt her heart skip a beat at that. It felt extremely painful. He looked so much like Ace yet he was asking who the owner of the name was. Even if it were possible that they were one and the same, only separated due to a lost memory, him asking that question just sounded so foreign...so wrong. It made nothing feel right for Lexi right then and there. It was as if her entire world was going to crash down a second time. Why did she feel like that?

"Um...I'm sorry...did I say somethin' wrong?" Jack suddenly asked, taking his hands out of his pocket and holding them out in front of himself like he was surrendering. Unfortunately for him, all those pent-up emotions Lexi had had to deal with came pouring forth, breaking through all the barriers she had put in place to stop them from doing just that.

"What's wrong with you?!" She shouted at the rabbit anthro in front of her, shocking him, Zadavia, and the rest of the Loonatics, who had returned, "Of course there's something wrong! What were you thinking, saving people then running back here to get yourself burned?! Then you...you...ugh how could you just...!"

Lexi's words were stuck in her throat when she saw the absolutely horrified expression on Jack's face. At once she regretted yelling. She hadn't said anything particularly hurtful, but suddenly shouting at him, in his condition, was a terrible thing to do. His body started to tremble, and then rage seemed to overcome him as well.

"What right da ya hafta say tat stuff about me?!" He shouted back, with blind fury no one had ever seen appear on the former Loonatics leader's face, even if Jack was just a lookalike, "None of ya know me at all, ya all are juz mistakin' me fer whoever dis Ace guy is aren't ya?! Why?! I dunno who tat is but juz cuz I can't rememba anythin' about myself means I'm supposed ta replace him or somethin'?! None of ya know what it's like, havin' ta wake up every day feeling like ya shouldn't be alive and da nightmares, da torment from everythin', ya dun know anythin'! What did I eva do ta ya?! Huh?! Answ'a me!"

Silence gripped the room. No one could say a word. Jack glared hard at Lexi for a few more agonizing seconds, then he scoffed and turned away.

"I knew I shoulda died when I had da chance..." He whispered to himself, catching Lexi's attention. They were close enough that her super hearing wasn't necessary anyway. But before she could say a word Jack pushed past her and the rest and ran out the room as fast as he could.

"W-Wait...!" Lexi tries to call, but he was already gone. No one had even tried to give chase. Lexi was ridden with guilt ans anger at herself. She expected any one of her teammates or Zadavia to scold her, yell at her, or even slap her. She felt like she deserved to be slapped several times. Instead, however, she found herself embraced in a warm, motherly hug from Zadavia. Before long the others joined in to form a group hug. When they pulled away the Loonatics boss gave the current Loonatics leader a gentle, but sad smile.

"You guys..." Lexi started to say, feeling extremely pathetic. She had promised herself to keep her emotions in check, but she failed before she even started. Meeting Jack did it. Before she actually saw him with her own eyes, she thought she knew how much she missed Ace and how much pain it brought her to remember that he was dead. She had been wrong. She only realized exactly how much it hurt after seeing Jack's face, one that was identical to the former Loonatics leader's. She hadn't meant to snap at him, but she really couldn't take it anymore. It was far too much. She had let herself react too emotionally, then said terrible things to the rabbit anthro. She wanted the others to yell at her, but they didn't.

"Don't blame yourself too much Lexi," Zadavia told her, "We know it's hard for you."

"Yeah...you were hit pretty hard that time...we can go explain to Jack for you if you want." DUck offered, trying his best to keep himself from saying anything stupid. Lexi was grateful, but she shook her head.

"Thanks guys, but I have to apologize to him myself." she decided, "He looks so much like Ace I just didn't know what to think. I have to tell him I'm sorry and that I don't intend to make him some replacement or anything. I owe him that much."

"Aright-but-be-a-little-careful-Lexi-I'm-not-too-s ure-what-to-make-of-that-guy-when-I-first-met-him- he-acted-pretty-childish-then-when-I-saw-him-yell- at-you-so-bad-it-was-like-seeing-a-different-perso n-you-know-maybe-his-medical-condition's-causing-i t-but-still-just-be-careful..." Rev said with concerned eyes. The current Loonatics leader gave him a smile of appreciation and a nod. However, before she could leave the room, Lyra came in and stopped her.

"Lexi...can I ask you something...?" she asked quietly. Her eyes told the female bunny that 'no' was not an option though. Slightly confused, Lexi told her to go ahead.

"It's about Jack. Is he...Is he one of you after all?" the nurse asked, looking very lost and almost sad. Lexi blinked, wondering why Lyra would ask something like that with such a strange mix of emotion. But unfortunately, she didn't have a proper answer.

"I...I don't know Lyra." Lexi told the nurse, her head down, "Actually, he and Ace...our former leader, look identical to each other without the suit on. I've only just met him in person, so I barely know anything about Jack other than the obvious stuff. But...I thought he was...and maybe I still do...I just..."

"Lyra," Zadavia suddenly cut in, "What happened to your wounds?"

Lexi flinched, then looked down at Lyra properly. All the injuries she had gotten from the fire were gone. Her clothes were still stained by the blood she lost while injured, but other than that she was perfectly fine. A troubled look came to the nurse's face.

"I don't know myself. After you and Miss Zadavia went in, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, all the pain was gone and my wounds were all gone, like magic. I was actually hoping you could help me figure that out as well." she admitted, and Lexi gasped. Didn't that same thing happen with Zadavia? The Loonatics boss seemed to think so too, as a gasp was also heard from her and she glanced at her side, probably unconsciously.

"You shouldn't worry too much about that." A sudden voice interrupted everyone, and all eyes turned to see Tech leaning against the open doorway, his arms folded across his chest with a serious expression on his face.

"Tech! Where've you been?" Duck exclaimed fimrly, but the serious expression the coyote had didn't waver, and instead he turned properly to face the team.

"I'm sorry I've been sneaking around, but Lyra, you and Zadavia don't have to worry about your wounds disappearing. She was the one who healed you two." Tech said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder and a girl with lime green eyes and an indigo hooded cloak appeared behind him with a smile on her face.

"Nice to finally meet you. My name is Nutrix, "Nurse" of the Blue Guardians." the girl said. At once, everyone except Tech freaked, though by how much was different.

"The Blue Guardians?!" Duck exclaimed(again). "What-are-you-doing-with-a-Blue-Guardians-member-T ech?!" Rev demanded. "What exactly is going on?!" Zadavia yelled. Slam followed with some confused and angry growls while Lexi was simply speechless. Not surprising, since she was kinda traumatized having to go up against someone like Bellator, who was in the same group as Nutrix. Obviously she did not trust the indigo-cloaked girl. But Tech said otherwise.

"Calm down guys, she's on our side." the coyote told them, "Earlier, she and I returned to the HQ tower with someone else, her partner. He was pretty weak then so we couldn't really do much except watch him for a while. Something happened with him so we had to watch him for a bit, but Nutrix went to your room to heal you shortly after we got back. When the alarm rang Nutrix's partner was still in bad shape so we needed to stay until he calmed before we came here. After that, we came across Lyra passed out in the hall. She was unconscious and almost dead, but luckily Nutrix, who's her group's healer, was able to save her at the last second."

"That's...unbelievable..." Zadavia commented, her astonishment evident on her face. It wasn't clear on whether she trusted Tech's story, but Lexi wasn't too sure of it herself.

"Tech...how can you trust her so easily...?" the current Loonatics leader said cautiously. Before Tech could answer, however, Nutrix herself stepped forward to face the female bunny. Her face had an understanding smile on it, though it did look somewhat irritated as well.

"Lexi Bunny. It's nice to finally meet you." she said with an unreadable tone. "My other side."

**YAHOO~!**

**I really hope you're all very confused and guessing about everything! I really hope I'm able to write something which makes the readers think about the storyline and some other hidden meanings in there too. Oh, and in case you're wondering just a little about Nutrix, when I called her the 'nurse' of the group, it's due to her ability to heal anything and the fact that her name is Latin for 'Nurse'(not a direct translation but it's one of the ways to say it. I've been pretty interested in Latin due to some anime and the main Google Translate word for 'nurse' didn't fit right so I had to improvise a little). Now I hope you'll all wait for the next chapter. Should come out in a week like before. Xyla out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well…**

**This update took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than expected and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry. Who knew getting re-addicted to a childhood anime and getting ready for post-exam activities would do this much damage? I suppose I'm getting a little lazy. I will definitely try to change that. And I still owe some people one-shots too (read the author's notes in the prequel to understand). I must remember to get on that. On the bright side I suppose this is my longest chapter yet. Almost 6000 words yay! Well, not exactly but I'm lazy to count everything and I highly doubt anyone would be bored enough to do that. In other words, please don't. I do not want anyone to waste a few minutes of their lives counting words. (Okay…I am clearly being a little random…)**

**Anyway, you get a Jack scene here, and now I realize I really do angst pretty well and love doing it too. Am I evil? I don't think I'm sadistic but sometimes I really must question my sanity. Another thing, should I change the rating to 'T'? I'm thinking some content may get a little darker soon, especially since the main villains will make a full and official entry soon, all of them, though Nutrix isn't exactly counted now…**

**Oh forget me, I will now stop talking and let you read, assuming you aren't the type to skip author's notes. That is, right after the review replies.**

**Review Replies:**

**AnimeGirl 144: ****Yes, I did leave you on a cliff-hanger. At least I didn't for this chapter. Not exactly. And yeah, I didn't want things to become Acexi but I am a fan of the pairing so I did it indirectly by making it Chaos Ace and Nutrix. Keep holding on to your guess! You will find the answers soon enough! PS, apologies for tardiness.**

**NickyRockit: ****Really?! I'm so glad you loved it! Of course the Blue Guardians are connected to them! You know I don't like OCs so I would never create one or two without giving them a link to the originals unless I had to (Lyra's a 'had-to' though). Even Chaos Ace is technically an OC, especially now that he's separate from Ace. I'll just tell you this though, no alternate universes are involved directly in the story. Hoho? Did you really make that guess? Excellent! As for who started the fire…you'll see below. Or at least you'll see a guess of the culprit. I love that you're loving the story! Thanks so much! PS, apologies for tardiness.**

**Scourge From BloodClan: ****Thanks sooooo much for the follows and favourites for both stories! And to reply the review left in the prequel, I'm sorry I made you cry! Don't be too sad please! I don't want by amazing readers to be sad! *pouts + whimpers* PS, apologies for tardiness.**

**Done now you can finally read!**

PART TEN: BROKEN

Jack found himself on the roof of the hospital. Miraculously, none of it had been destroyed in the incident which caused the fire. For that Jack was grateful. The one place he could escape to was safe and sound. He stared out at the city of Acmetropolis, wondering about many things.

Jack liked the roof. It was always the only place he could go to where he felt like himself, or as much as he could be. Without memories of anything, not even his real name, Jack always felt alone despite the care and company of the doctors, nurses and some of the other patients. He had grown especially close to his caretakers, Lyra and Sylene, but even they could not ease the isolation he felt. Who was he? Where did he come from? The rabbit anthro's mind always felt hazy and his head would hurt when he asked himself such questions. Since he woke up to find himself in the hospital one and a half months ago, he had adopted a childish personality unconsciously. He was unsure of many things, and at first, his memory loss had been so bad he barely knew how to walk or speak properly. However, once he was alone all that seemed to just vanish and something would stir in him. A sense of longing for something, followed by a sense of someone calling out to him. It felt comforting, but also painful. He was missing out on something badly, and all he wanted was to be able to remember his past and continue living however he used to. But he was also scared of his past. Once, he overheard one of his doctors saying that something terrible must've happened to him for such a severe case of amnesia. The doctors suspected that he may have forced himself to forger whatever traumatized him so. If that much was true, would getting his memory back really be worth it?

Suddenly, Jack's thoughts drifted over to the Loonatics. He had calmed down after his outburst at Lexi, but he was still shaken. When he first saw the Loonatics on TV, he felt confused at seeing them. He hadn't even been curious. Just confused. But after watching them more, he started feeling something else, something like an invisible link to them. He had wanted to meet them for so long. But then Sylene had told him about how the Loonatics' former leader had died during a particularly dangerous mission. The details were not given to the public, due to the Loonatics themselves being unwilling to share, but it was said to have been a huge blow to the group as a whole. Because of that, when Rev appeared in front of him that day, when the roadrunner called him "Ace" by mistake, Jack was wondering if it were possible that he was that leader. If a Loonatics member said the name like that, it should be the name of the former leader right? However, at the same time, Rev had been so shocked to see him, he couldn't even ask about the chances. From the looks of it, the Loonatics leader was definitely dead. The Loonatics had to have confirmed it right? Besides, from what he had found out about the former Loonatics leader, that he had been a great fighter, and always led the team excellently into victory. According to sources he had found on the Acmetropolian data bases(Internet of Acmetropolis), which he used without permission when he snuck out of the hospital at times, as the doctors told him that radiation from computers may prove harmful to him, Jack had discovered that he had sacrificed himself for his comrades and the entire city during that mission which claimed his life. That was something worth admiring, but Jack didn't believe he would ever have the inner strength to do such a thing himself

"Even if I wanted ta, is neva be tat strong-willed..." He said to himself, "D'ere's juz no way I can be someone like tat guy..."

He looked up at the hazy skies. "Ace...was tat his name?"

For some reason, even though he could read the articles, Jack could never see the name of the Loonatics leader. To him, that one word was always blurred to the point where it was simply unreadable. He had always wondered if it was some weird effect of the computer radiation the doctors mentioned, or maybe something to do with the computer itself, but he had become unsure. He had seen the pictures, he looked very similar to the former Loonatics leader...Ace. Of course public photos always showed him suited so maybe he looked different underneath, but there were still plenty of similarities. But, Jack didn't want to believe he was Ace. For one thing, there was no way he was as strong as him and he doubted he'd be brave enough to allow himself to die for others. For another...he wasn't sure if he deserved to be someone like Ace. He didn't know why, but he just didn't feel like he should. Something was stopping him, and like everything else, he didn't know what it was. Frustrated with all the questions, Jack slammed his fist against the railing.

"Argh! Why does all dis hafta be so hard?! Why can't I juz rememba thin's and get on with my life?! I'm so sick of dis place...I wanna leave...I..." Jack dropped to his knees and started to sob. He didn't care how childish or pathetic he looked, no one was around anyway. Why was he so frustrated? Why was all the pain and confusion coming back and hitting him all at once all of a sudden? He wanted it to end. Wanted it all to just stop. Things would be much easier if it did.

"Jack?" A voice called, then Sylene appeared behind him. She looked like she had walked out of an oven, with her nurse uniform and some patches of her fur burnt and soot covering most of her. "Are you alright?"

"S-Sylene...er...yeah...I'm fine...I think." Jack answered when he saw the nurse. He stood, then turned his attention back to the city, feeling strange. He always felt like that around Sylene. He was perfectly comfortable around Lyra, but with Sylene it was always a completely different story. He wasn't sure why though. She was extremely clumsy and easily flustered but proved to be a pretty nice person. She was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. But still, Jack couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling he had when she was around. Maybe she had something to do with his forgotten past? Possibly?

"You should head back. Lyra will be worried." Sylene said, looking a little nervous as she fidgetted with the ends of her nurse uniform's long-sleeves. Jack bit his lip. The cat anthro was right, Lyra would be worried, especially after his latest episode, right after he had saved her. She had been terribly injured, and he wanted to know of his caretaker was alright, but the shock that had been on her face during that particular episode had horrified him. It made him fear himself and his lost memories more than ever.

*Flashback*

"D'ere, yer safe now." Jack said as he quickly but carefully laid down one of the younger patients who nearly got trapped in the fire, which was raging and destroying everything around it. If not dealt with soon it would definitely spiral out of control. However, Jack knew he had to make sure the patients were all saved first. He had inhaled a lot of the smoke and suffered from plenty of burns already, but since he wasn't sure if he managed to get to all of the patients on time, he had to check again. So without much thought he rushed back into the inferno, ignoring the shouts of protests from patients and doctors he had just saved. He was fully aware of the fact that what he was doing was reckless and risky, especially since he had no protection in his hospital's clothing(A/N: sorry don't know what's the proper term in English), but he didn't care. He needed to try and save those people. It was a nostalgic feeling, like he had been doing things like that for ages before.

Jack searched all the rooms and fortunately found that no one else was trapped within any of them. The only room he didn't check was his own. He didn't really think it mattered, as his room was a one-person-only ward, the only one in that hallway, and he had been supposed to stay there without supervision, time which he should've used for rest, for another hour. He was pretty positive no one was supposed to be in there, but he checked his room anyway. To his horror, the fire burned far more fiercely and wildly within his room, and the entire space was engulfed in the madly dancing flames. Outside the room the fire had been more evenly spread-out and the other rooms weren't nearly as damaged, but Jack's room already had no hope of quick repair and recovery, which only meant one thing. The fire had started in his room.

"What da heck is...?!" Jack started to say, but was cut off by a familiar scream. Then an extremely recent memory came to him, one only created earlier that very day. He had woken up after hearing a scream of pure terror but found nothing wrong. He had been in his room, safe and sound with no traces of a fire, then. He remembered looking around a bit, but then an unusual drowsiness took over and he blacked out. Next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor in the hallway and the smell of smoke was in the air.

Jack gasped and felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. He shook his head to clear himself of that thought, then focused on the scream nearby. It was Lyra, and a piece of burning metal was on her ankle. At once Jack dove to save her, kicking the metal away swiftly enough so that he wouldn't be burned himself and helped Lyra up. The thick smoke and heat was starting to get to him, and his vision was getting hazy. Oxygen was running out. He had to get Lyra away quickly or it would be too late.

"Jack?! What are you...?!" Lyra gasped, but Jack interrupted her.

"Talk lata! We gotta get outta here now!" He exclaimed as he supported Lyra until they were able to leave the room. He shut the door and prayed the fire would remain controlled for just a little longer, at least until he could get Lyra to a safe location, where the others were. Luckily for him, they made it. Once they were at the safe room with the other patients and staff members Jack requested that Lyra's ankle be treated at once. She had other injuries as well, a huge wound on her side and several other burns. The wound was unusual, a fire wouldn't have caused such a thing, but Jack ended up having no time to worry about that.

"Jack...thank you but are you alright...?" Lyra asked him, and Jack gave her an assuring smile. The doctor beside them however, looked very concerned.

"That was very dangerous young man," he told Jack, even though the rabbit anthro wasn't that much younger than he was, "had you been a little careless, both you and Lyra could've died!"

"I...I didn't mean ta worry anyone..." Jack protested weakly, "I juz wanted ta..."

"Jack, stop." Lyra cut off, "You did nothing wrong. I'd have been a goner if not for you. I don't support recklessness, but since you saved my life without harming yourself I'll overlook it today."

"But I..."

"No 'buts'. You did nothing wrong."

Lyra smiled gratefully and gently at him, but then the wound and burns got to her and she let out a gasp of pain. She clutched her side, blood pouring from it in large amounts.

"Lyra!" Jack and the doctor exclaimed at once. Then suddenly, all turned pitch-black around Jack. Fear gripped him and his head started pounding. His eyes widened with terror and he gritted his teeth hard. His hands flew to his head as the pain worsened and worsened. Seconds later, he started seeing hazy images, several misty figures stood before him, and all reached out to try and grab him. Jack didn't know what they wanted to do, but the sight of those figures sent violent waves of emotion at him, drowning him in them. All those emotions ended up as no less than raw, cold terror. His chest started hurting and he just couldn't take it anymore. He screamed.

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled as the pain intensified. He was unaware of Lyra's shouts of worry, shouts telling him to calm down. All he heard instead were muffled voices that did not sound friendly at all. Panic set in and his whole body began trembling.

"STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!" Jack kept yelling, but for some reason he opened his eyes and was looking around trying to find whatever it was that was threatening him, and he caught a glimpse of Lyra's face. Time seemed to freeze right at that instant, and that shocked expression she had mortified him. That expression made it look like she saw him as a freak, as something extremely dangerous. That look felt like a knife had just stabbed him in the chest. The pitch-black darkness he had seen before he opened his eyes returned and the misty figures were closer than ever. Panic finally set in and he went hysterical. Without thinking he took off, straight back into the fire without a care of what would happen to him.

*End of Flashback*

Jack didn't realize he was shivering with anxiety at the memory until Sylene put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. He flinched at the touch, but there wasn't any malice or ill intentions behind it so he didn't resist it.

"Jack, you should really go back and rest up. You just had an episode. Your body isn't in good condition to stay up here." Sylene said, obviously not giving Jack any room to argue. She may be a shy and clumsy feline, but she knew how to be firm when she needed to, and she was definitely someone no one wanted to pick a fight with. Thus Jack let out a sigh, signifying his surrender.

"Alright Sylene. I could use some rest." He said, turning back to her. He didn't want to leave the roof just yet, but she was right as well. His body wasn't in the best condition after his episode, and besides, he did receive some injuries from the fire rescues he did. Sylene gave him a smile and helped him on the way back downstairs. She told him that he would need to share a room with another patient for a short while, at least until they found a replacement room for him. His own, as he remembered, had been destroyed.

Jack was starting to get really concerned. Since recently, he had been losing recent memories, then regaining some of them within the day or a few days' time. His memories from before he first woke up in the hospital remained locked up, but his newer memories were just drifting in and out of his mind as they liked. And this time, one of his blackouts led him to wake up pretty far from his room, where a fire started. That had to mean something. He didn't dare say it out loud, but Jack was beginning to believe that he somehow started the fire. Who else could it have been? And if it had been him, it would mean that he injured Lyra and the others. Many could have died because of him. The thought of that possibility sent jolts of pain through him, and his head and chest began hurting at the same time. He stopped in his tracks and dropped to his knees. He only heard Sylene's worried shouts before he blacked out for the fifth time that day.

~0~

"'Other...side'...?" Lexi repeated with shocked confusion. The expression mirrors those on most of the others' faces, with only Tech and Nutrix looking nonchalant. "What...What's that supposed to mean...?"

"It's quite a long and tedious story. Would you like to hear it now or later?" Nutrix's tone sounded almost teasing, but Lexi could see it in her eyes, eyes which matched her own, and the female bunny knew the Blue Guardians' nurse was nervous about something. She was simply putting up a brave front. Thus, Lexi forced herself to remain calm. She was not, and she meant NOT, going to allow herself to break her vow to not let her emotions take over a second time, because it went so well the first time with Jack.

"How can I trust that nothing you say is a lie?" She asked instead of answering. Nutrix let out a sigh with an annoyed or exasperated expression, but she sounded relieved.

"You can't." She replied after a silent moment. "I understand that nothing I say or do will make you trust me right now, especially since I'm part of the enemy group, but I promise I have no ill intentions. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you."

Lexi hesitated with her own reply. She had not expected Nutrix to answer in such a way. She thought about what would be the next course of action, then she folded her arms across her chest.

"I'll hear you out then decide. But not here. We will talk at the tower. I want to see just who this companion of yours is before anything else anyway." She told Nutrix. At once, both her and Tech shared an uneasy look. It confused her, like they knew something she didn't, something more than just the identity of Nutrix's companion. This made Lexi uncomfortable, but she knew it had to be done. The rest around her, including Zadavia, remained silent, all of them standing where they were with mostly unreadable expressions on their faces. She gave them all a proper look, silently asking them for their individual opinions.

"I suppose that is the best course of action." Zadavia said first, "Going to HQ will also give us a chance to talk in private."

"No-problems-here." Rev said.

"I'm all up for it." Duck agreed and Slam nodded while adding a few growls of approval himself. Lexi gave them all a grateful grin, then turned back to Nutrix, who still looked nervous. The current Loonatics leader asked if she had any objections.

"No objections. But I have a request." Nutrix told her, and Tech stood up straighter, like he knew what she was going to ask. Turns out he did, because he placed a hand on Nutrix's shoulder and took over for her.

"When you meet Nutrix's companion, don't lose yourself. Trust me, when I met him, I wanted to do something I normally wouldn't even think of doing. This guy, we've all met him as an enemy once, but he's changed. Even if it sounds incredible, you can trust him." He told the entire group, not just Lexi, who was really taken aback by how he sided with Nutrix. She wasn't sure what to make of it. For a second, she was worried that Tech was under her control or something, but his eyes were firm and there was no doubting the seriousness in his stare. He was doing and saying everything by his own free will.

"But Tech, you haven't even mentioned who this guy is. Even if all of us have indeed met, we are unsure of who he is. How can we trust him without knowing his identity?" Zadavia questioned. The coyote looked uneasy. It clearly wasn't simple for him to answer that question properly. Lexi was conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to trust Tech, her team member, completely, but on the other, she didn't want to do the same for the Blue Guardian member who claimed that Lexi was her "other side". Those words greatly unnerved the female bunny, but at the same time, she felt a strange sense of acceptance as well at them. Why, perhaps she would never understand. But right then, she only had one option.

"Alright Tech." She said, "You have my word for it. We won't lose it."

"I'll be honest Lexi, I still think you would. I almost did. But thanks." The coyote replied, staring at Lexi in the eyes firmly, "Shall we go?"

Lexi was a little mad at the statement he made, but truth be told she knew it probably wasn't far from reality, so she didn't argue. Instead she agreed with him, not missing the grim look of pure dread on his face. Whoever it was back at the HQ tower, he was no joke. But in what way, Lexi was gonna find out soon.

~0~

Tech wasn't going to pilot the ship. He had decided to stay with Nutrix and sort out some things. The coyote felt bad about leaving the hospital like that, but Lyra assured him that everything would turn out A-OK so he chose to trust that things would be perfectly manageable. She wasn't going to go along with them, being just another citizen of the city, but she did get them to promise to tell her how Nutrix healed her. Apparently, that alone would be satisfying to her. It wasn't surprising, seeing as she herself was a nurse and had her own patients to attend to. Tech was still worried about her injuries, even though Nutrix had healed them already. After all, she had had a really serious wound, obviously not caused by the fire. When the coyote had asked about it just before they left in the ship, Lyra had given him a slightly distressed look and told him that she didn't know what happened or how she had gotten a wound as bad as that. She was really worried herself about it, but she decided to drop the subject as she had technically recovered from it already.

"You have any idea why Lyra got that wound Nutrix?" He brought up the subject while he and Nutrix were in the back room. The coyote wasn't sure if anyone else was listening, though they all could have and Lexi wouldn't even need her super-hearing to do it, but he doubted they would. He was aware that they were all unsure of what to say or do, and even though he was their team member he knew they would be at least a little suspicious about why he was siding with a Blue Guardians member. However, it didn't matter. What Chaos Ace and Nutrix told him about the Blue Guardians and other things, especially the stuff about Ace, was all still fresh in his mind. Yes, they could be lying, planning something, but Tech didn't think so. Considering Chaos Ace's condition, he would have no reason to. Then Nutrix spoke, bringing him back to the topic at hand.

"I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure that Ardor did it. He was definitely the one who set the fire, being the Flame Bearer of the six of us, and maybe he ran into that nurse while trying to make his escape." Nutrix answered with uncertainty. She sat in one of the chairs, not looking particularly comfortable, while Tech stood leaning against the wall.

"Ardor?" Tech repeated the Latin word, the name of Nutrix's teammate, "'Heat' right? Kinda ironic."

"We didn't choose these names and attributes you know. Our queen did. She orders our very existence." Nutrix replied, suddenly becoming solemn and serious. "Still, I suppose I am quite similar to my other side. Because I just can't take the cruelty she wishes for. I meant it when I told you I'd gladly allow myself to be erased if it meant stopping her."

Tech paused for a moment before speaking. "This 'queen'...who is she? You said there are six of you, but you've only mentioned five names to me. Who is this queen you keep talking about?"

Nutrix seemed to grow pale at those words. She pressed her lips into a thin line, clearly desperate at trying to find the right words to answer him with. Tech stiffened. It wasn't the first time she acted like that, in fact even Chaos Ace had been confused at her silence when they talked about things. They never finished the conversation, as Chaos Ace began suffering from the aftershocks of using his powers too much and lost consciousness. Nutrix hadn't been able to heal him properly and the coyote found himself suggesting that they move him to the Loonatics HQ tower. Nutrix had been no less than dumbfounded when he made the suggestion, but agreed to it after a few questions asking for confirmation on the subject. They had some trouble, since they didn't have a ship, but managed to safety transport him.

The whole time then, Nutrix refused to mention anything related to the 'queen'. She looked scared whenever Tech tried to bring it up, but he eventually gave up, though the interruption caused by the hospital on fire was the main reason for that. However, her slip-up of mentioning the queen herself easily reminded him of the matter.

"I'm so stupid." Nutrix said, looking down, "If I want to stop her with your help I guess you should know. But can you let me tell you, all of you, at the same time? I...I haven't even told Chaos yet."

She was referring to Chaos Ace. He had asked Tech to simply call him that, since he stated that even though he was in Ace's form, he wasn't Ace and didn't deserve to be called by that name. Honestly, the coyote didn't disagree one bit. Even if he did accept Chaos's explanation and help for now, he still didn't trust those prism-like eyes he had come to despise so much. It seemed like he was taking Ace's life all over again after all.

Tech frowned to himself. He remembered how Chaos had told him that Ace was alive. He had been so shocked, but he wasn't sure whether he should feel happy or not. Of course, Ace being alive was a great thing, but Tech, especially since he was still suspicious of the two who were supposed to be enemies, couldn't decide if Chaos was lying or not. And even if he wasn't, for what reason would Ace stay away from them all? The coyote thought about Jack, but even though they looked identical, their DNA didn't match. DNA was the one thing that couldn't be altered. If the DNA of the two didn't match there was just no way they would be the same person. And Tech highly doubted Ace would have memory loss like Jack. After all, the rabbit anthro stuck in the hospital was enough coincidence.

Chaos had said he knew Ace was alive because of some sort of link between them, but couldn't tell where he was or how he was doing. He had told Tech that every time he tried to find the former Loonatics leader, he would feel liked he's trapped in an eternal black, empty space. It apparently frightened him to near death, as Nutrix explained that he experienced something similar when his consciousness first went mad with the negativity he felt. Tech believed that. No amount of good acting would result in such a violent reaction of pure fear during the explanations.

All in all, the coyote remained cautious of Chaos, due to him being a former enemy as well as him being seemingly mentally unstable. From the looks of things, it wouldn't take much to push him off the edge of sanity, the edge he was already hanging from and hanging on for dear life. It was honestly hard to believe he was lying, especially considering his former personality. But Chaos was definitely a crafty one, and had been a pretty good actor. Tech didn't want any reason to think that either him or Nutrix would betray them on the mission. However, the fact that the Blue Guardians nurse hadn't told Chaos about her queen was something that made Tech even more confused.

"Alright I'll wait. But I'm pretty worried about how the others will react once they see him. And is there any reason why you haven't spoken to Chaos about the queen?" The coyote couldn't help but ask.

Nutrix sighed and stared out the window as the Loonatics HQ tower finally came into view. Her lime green eyes were worried, almost sad.

"I don't really want him to know. He'll blame himself even more. But maybe your presence may hold him back a little once he learns the truth about the Blue Guardians queen. Let's just say, he has more to do with the Blue Guardians than he thinks." She told Tech. Her last statement sounded particularly ominous. More than Chaos thinks...? What does that mean? Tech didn't pry, however, since he saw that the Blue Guardians nurse really didn't want to say anymore. She looked really worn down emotionally.

"Tech, I know it's a lot to ask but can you please help Chaos if the others turn on him?" Nutrix asked, almost pleading, "I know that they, especially my other side, will not react well. I don't want him to get hurt. Please. I know you hate him as well but just this once..."

She trailed off. Tech was shocked to see tears in her eyes. Unsure what to do or think, he remained silent. She had just asked him to protect the one person he hated most. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. However...

"Alright. But just so you know, I still don't trust him." The coyote said. Nutrix rubbed her eyes and gave him a genuine, grateful smile.

"That's enough for now. Thank you." She told him.

Finally, the ship landed at the HQ tower. Everyone inside got off quickly and Tech did a quick check on the ship's systems like he always would before joining the rest. Unsurprisingly, Nutrix stood a few metres away from the larger group, and the coyote couldn't help but join her. She may be a suspicious character, but for now she seemed to have good intentions. After the conversation he had with her Tech was starting to believe that was completely true, at least for her. Chaos...he still wasn't too sure. Still, Nutrix looked like she could use some support. The coyote was aware of the glares he got from Lexi and Duck while Slam and Rev looked slightly worried. Only Zadavia maintained a calm expression and a composure to match.

"Guys, you all remember what I asked about not freaking out right?" Tech asked, knowing that he was practically sticking his head under the blade of a guillotine by saying that. Lexi tensed but nodded without a word.

"I hope you know what you're doing Tech." Zadavia warned. Tech wasn't sure which she meant, the trouble he risked getting into with the group or the danger he risked by apparently trusting Nutrix's companion. He figured it was both.

"I hope so too Zadavia." Tech said quietly enough that no one would hear it, not even the person he directed it too. He didn't want anyone to think he was unsure as it would only make it others find it harder to trust Chaos than they already would. And right then, Tech needed as much trust from both sides as he could get.

**Alright!**

**I didn't leave that bad of an ending this time (I think) so I hope you guys are a little happier. (And hope that you do not want to kill me.) My computer had problems with the Internet lately too so posting this took one day later than initially planned. This author's note right here is edited for your information. So anyway, I'll be calling Chaos Ace just 'Chaos' now, since I will need to differentiate between the two. And one last thing, can anyone guess who Ardor and the 'queen' of the Blue Guardians are? The queen may be hard but Ardor, maybe not. Look through Tech and Nutrix's conversation and you'll see that our genius coyote left a hint. Just for fun though, there's not really a reward planned, so feel free to skip this little contest if you want. Xyla, out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ack….**

**That took a lot longer than expected what is wrong with me nowadays I'm so slow with updates despite enjoying this story soooooooooooooooooo much. Someone hit me on the head with a wooden hammer or something already…Well, hopefully the content of this chapter will make up for it all. I have to say that it didn't turn out the way I'd hoped but I guess it's still okay.**

**I don't really have much to say for the author's note for this chapter so I'm just gonna skip right to the review replies from here. **

**Review replies time:**

**Scourge From BloodClan: Well, I couldn't have cliffhangers all the time now could I?**

**NickyRockit: Lol really good guess with the queen. You'll see why in this chapter. I'm so glad I can rouse up readers' emotions when they're still halfway through reading the story so thank you for telling me that you got the feels! I'm very happy! I'm sorry though, you guessed wrong Ardor's identity here…sad…now, I wonder how this chapter will work out for you!**

**M3ccoSURF: My…your username is confusing I typed it wrongly more than three times…I must be going stupid or something…=_=" But oh well, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks a million for the compliments! I'm sorry you guessed Ardor's identity wrong as well…how sad, but I guess it's a hard question. Well, the team will meet Chaos now. See how it happens! And aw! Thanks so much for saying you love my fics! Here's a (virtual) cake! *hands over giant three-layered cake with lots of frosting and sprinkles***

**There we are! Now enjoy the chapter please!**

PART ELEVEN: TRUTH OF THE BLUE GUARDIANS

Chaos was in the medical room. He had finally regained consciousness. At first he was confused about where he was when he sat up, but before long all the memories came flooding back to him. He clutched his head in pain.

Pain. That was all he had been feeling since he was revived. He had gotten his sanity back, which felt like something that had become impossible after being trapped in madness for so long. The pain he felt, well, he'd be lying if he said he didn't mind it, but he did feel like it was a small price to pay for that. Chaos was truly grateful to Ace for breaking the madness in him. However, he knew that with his power depleted, it wouldn't be long before he disappeared forever. He knew he would be utterly destroyed.

"Heh...guess I'm payin' fer what I did ta ya..." He said as he recalled how Ace had forced himself into another fake body which would cause his own death once he beat his possessed real one, "It's only fair...ya didn't desoive it..."

The pain didn't leave, in fact it grew worse with his words. He clutched his head tighter and fell into a foetal position back on the bed. He was pretty close to the edge so if he fell off it wouldn't be too much of a surprise. He wouldn't even have cared. Chaos gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep his mouth shut and trap the scream threatening to escape from his throat. He felt like he was being by several blades over and over, and his body contorted in agony at the slightest movement he made.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the pain stopped. Chaos looked down at his hands. They had been transparent a second ago, but the colour was flowing back to him and making them solid again. He let out a breath of both relief and worry. He didn't really mind the fact that he would disappear. His existence had never exactly been meaningful, but he was afraid that he would disappear before he could complete the tasks he set out to do. He had to stop the Blue Guardians and find Ace. He had to fix the problems he caused, and he wouldn't be able to do that if he no longer existed. What's more, he feared he would never be able to apologize or thank Ace for everything that had happened. He had no other reason to continue living aside from those...not anymore.

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. His hearing wasn't super but it was still pretty sensitive so he could tell that the footsteps didn't just come from one or two pairs of feet.

A terrifying chill ran down his spine. If Nutrix and Tech weren't with him, they would be out of the tower or at least be on a different floor. If that was the case no one should be in the tower, since Chaos remembered the alarms which signaled trouble in the city, alarms that once rang because of his actions. That meant the Loonatics would have to go on some mission. But if he was hearing so many footsteps, did it mean they were back? Chaos had to admit he was scared. He was scared to face them. For so long he had been trying to contact them using the little amount of power he had retained since that day two months ago. Power he only got back recently. He could never get through. But when he finally did with Tech, who was the one he trusted the most in the group for some reason despite knowing that Tech actually hated him far more than any of the others somehow, he had only told the coyote minimal information and allowed the connection to break. That was when he realized his own fear. Fear of facing the Loonatics. When he met Tech face-to-face, he had felt so scared he allowed the pain to take over for a lot longer than it should have. Nutrix had been horrified but he managed to convince her to leave and find Tech in his place. He didn't regret that but it made him feel like completely useless coward. A pathetic fool who couldn't face his own mistakes.

"N-No...d'ey're all back...already...?" He whispered to himself as the pain which only stopped less than a minute ago threatened to return, "What do I do...I can't face d'em...I..."

The pain came back so suddenly, Chaos couldn't suppress his scream. That's when the footsteps came to an abrupt stop.

~0~

Everyone froze when they heard the scream. The scream sounded exactly like the former Loonatics leader's voice. To Rev, it brought back memories that he wanted to forget. During the final battle with the possessed side of Ace at that time, Rev had been controlled like a puppet through one of Chaos's special spells, which activated once he touched the Unbound Sword, the weapon Chaos wielded at the time. He ended up having to fight Ace while the others occupied Chaos. To make a very risky plan work, Rev had forced himself, with every bit if willpower he had, to stab his team leader right in the chest with the sword. The shock of actually doing it had allowed him to regain his control over his body, but he still would have preferred it if he was the one stabbed. Ace didn't die then, due to his false body being pretty much immortal at that point in time, but the feeling of fatally wounding someone he cared about nearly killed the roadrunner inside. Ace also didn't scream at the time, but Rev had honestly wished he had. He remembered wishing that the bunny would yell something at him for following the plan.

The sound of the scream that sounded like it could belong to Ace nearly made Rev lose his cool and speed right into the room the scream came from, which was the medical room. In fact, he would've done so, had Nutrix and Tech not beat him to it in his momentary stillness brought on by the shock. The two opened the room door and rushed inside, but before anyone else could get in they closed the door and pretty much locked it. At once Lexi started to pound on the door, clearly thinking the same thing Rev and everyone else was thinking.

"Tech?! Tech what was that?! Open the door! That's an order!" Lexi exclaimed, but all they heard was more screaming from whoever it was inside with the coyote and Blue Guardians nurse. It really did sound like Ace. Before long almost everyone outside the door was pounding on it and shouting, even Zadavia. That wasn't a good sign at all. Rev was on the verge of panicking, and he knew that everyone else was the same. He had never exactly realized how much Ace's death had truly affected them until that very second. The roadrunner could hear Tech and Nutrix shouting at whoever it was screaming to calm down, but that person clearly wouldn't, and even started to sound even more frantic. It was extremely painful and confusing to hear.

Then, finally, after a long time, the screaming stopped. It was pretty sudden, so the Loonatics also stopped their own actions. The door opened and Tech stepped out, forcing the others back before he closed the door again. The look on his face was one of agony, guilt and self-loathing. Why did he have such a terrible expression? It was so unlike him.

"T-Tech...what''s going on? Answer me. Now." Lexi said with a dark tone to her shaky voice. She was also trembling a lot, and Rev couldn't blame her. He was getting chills and feeling very uncomfortable as well. He wanted to support Tech, but he knew that there was no way he could at that moment in time. Tech clearly didn't want it, and besides, Rev knew no more about the situation or reason behind the coyote's actions than anyone else in the team. Tech bit his lip, forcing himself to look up at the current Loonatics leader.

"I guess there's no chance anymore. I'll tell you everything I know right now alright?" Tech said, and carried on without waiting for any form of answer and he already knew he wouldn't need one.

"The reason I kept this from you all is that this companion of Nutrix's...well, he's someone we all hate. He's the one responsible for Ace's death two months ago." the coyote told them. Rev froze. The one responsible for Aces death...? But that could only mean...

The door to the medical room opened and a bunny anthro in the yellow Loonatics suit appeared with Nutrix holding onto him. Rev was shocked beyond anything when he saw those prism-like eyes.

"Yes...it's me..." Chaos said in a very weak voice, not daring to look up at anyone. As expected, Lexi got over the shock first and lunged at him, but Tech held her back. She started to squirm and tried to get the coyote to let go of her, but he wouldn't. Without thinking Rev pulled her back as well and asked Slam to help restrain her. The Tasmanian devil looked shocked at the suggestion and Rev felt guilty for asking. He knew that Slam wouldn't want to allow Chaos off easily either, but the roadrunner couldn't bear to see Lexi lost control of herself right then. Luckily for him, Slam did what he asked, though he was clearly distressed for doing so, and Lexi's thrashing and yells to let her go were only making them worse.

"Tech, what is the meaning of this?" Zadavia said finally, though her own rage, barely controlled. showed through easily, "Why is he alive, and why are you working with him?"

For a while Tech and Nutrix said nothing in response, and Chaos was staring the the floor with a strange expression. Rev really disliked the possessed bunny, but he never actually hated him, although he was sure he was the only one in the team who didn't. Even though it had been him who nearly witnessed his family members' deaths while almost dying along with them, having escaped due to no more than pure luck, even though it had been his home that was destroyed and his family ended up in comas in the hospital, how could he possibly hate Chaos? He was still Ace after all, and had been controlled by the Chaos Crystal right? Sure Ace had split them in half but they were definitely the same person, the only difference was that one side was possessed by an external force. To Rev, if anyone was to be blamed and hated it was without a doubt Deuce, for bringing the crystal to Acmetropolis in the first place. But once he saw Chaos standing there, in Ace's form, while Ace was supposed to be dead, Rev wasn't so sure if they really were the same person anymore. But they had to be...right...? Then Rev properly saw Chaos's expression. It surprised him. The guy in Ace's form looked like he wanted to die. His expression was full of what Rev had felt when he had to stab Ace-guilt. He felt guilty?

Rev remembered the personality Chaos had back when he was opposing the team and trying to destroy them all. He had been scary, murderous and cared nothing for anyone else. Also, he had been an extremely proud and arrogant person. For him to even look guilty, which should have been considered pathetic or weak to people like him, should mean he really felt the pain of what he had done. He had to regret his actions to have that expression right? That was when Rev noticed something else. He nearly slapped himself for not noticing something that obvious right away. He supposed the sight of Chaos's eyes, something he never thought he'd have to see again, just shocked him more than he realized. Chaos was clearly very weak, looking as if he was ready to collapse at any moment. He obviously couldn't even stand if Nutrix didn't hold him up, and the strangest part was that he seemed to be fading. It only lasted a second, but Rev could swear it on his life that Chaos had become almost fully transparent at one point.

"Tech..." he said slowly, his shock becoming replaced by something like concern, though not quite, as he uttered his best friend's name, making it the third time someone did so within the last five minutes, "Why...why is he in that condition? What happened to him?"

The surprise from everyone in the room hit him with the force of the truck. All pairs of eyes were on him, and while he tried his best to ignore them all and focus on the coyote, he couldn't help being unnerved. The surprise was expected though, he was pretty much showing concern to someone who caused their team leader to die after all. Even Chaos seemed dumbfounded as he was staring at Rev with wide eyes. He had opened his mouth to say something but shut it before he did. The roadrunner noticed this from the corner of his eye, but it wasn't important at the moment.

"Seriously-what-is-going-on-Tech-you-leave-suddenl y-and-then-when-we-need-you-at-the-hospital-you-sh ow-up-at-the-last-minute-and-with-a-Blue-Guardians -member-who-is-on-our-side-for-some-reason-and-the n-you-tell-us-she-has-some-companion-with-her-but- you-don't-say-who-and-it-turns-out-to-be-him-so-I- get-why-you-didn't-tell-us-at-first-but-why-would- you-trust-him-you-told-me-yourself-you-hated-him-e nough-to-wish-he-was-alive-so-you-could-kill-him-y ourself-and-also-something-is-clearly-wrong-with-h im-why-does-he-look-like-he'll-pass-out-on-us-at-a ny-second?!" Rev exclaimed, back at his normal speed when speaking. It was one of the only times when he had been allowed to speak for so long without interruption. The fact that he said so much so fast (despite being used to it) almost left him breathless, though the fact that he was yelling the entire time and that his emotions were pretty jumbled at that point contributed to that. Tech blinked at him, then let out a sigh of dread.

"There's a lot to explain. Maybe we should all move to the main room." he suggested. Rev glanced down at Lexi, whom he was still holding onto, though Slam did most of the work. He wasn't sure how she felt about all this, but she had turned from staring at Rev to Chaos. Rev followed her gaze and realized that Chaos had also shifted his position a little and was trying to stand on his own, though Nutrix made sure she held on. There was definitely no way he was alright, and Nutrix knew it. So did Rev, and he was certain Chaos knew it too. So why was he trying to look like he was okay? Rev inwardly gasped. Could he possibly be trying to pretend he was fine so the Loonatics wouldn't pity him? But if he was trying to gain trust he shouldn't mind them pitying him right? Rev was confused, but he highly doubted Chaos was faking anything. So what was he trying to do by pretending to be okay?

"Just stop already!" Nutrix suddenly shouted, making everyone jump. She was glaring at Chaos with worry and anger in her eyes. "You aren't fine alright?! If you didn't have to explain yourself I would've thrown you back onto that bed and forced you to rest already!"

The atmosphere was still tense, but Nutrix had lessened the effect a little. Lexi still had her gaze fixated on Chaos, but some of her self-restraint had returned and she was no longer struggling. Rev wasn't too sure if it was safe (or smart) to let her go at the moment, but he did anyway, and Slam mimicked his actions, with some minor growls of apology towards the female bunny. However, Lexi ignored them both and Rev turned to say he was sorry to Slam, who forgave him, fortunately.

"Nutrix's right." Lexi said, which increased the surprise in everyone, including Rev. The current Loonatics leader had a look of hatred in her eyes, and though they didn't really come close to Tech's when the coyote had been angry about Chaos before, not too long ago. Rev never understood why Tech was the one who really couldn't stand Chaos at all. He doubted the coyote knew the reason either. However, he stayed silent as he listened to Lexi continue.

"You really don't seem to be in good condition. Whether you're lying or not, we'll have to see, but for now, I will trust Tech's beliefs in you." she stated seriously, casting the form of Ace a warning glare. He actually shrank a little under that, though Rev seemed to be the only one who noticed that. Nutrix gave Lexi a grateful look, but it wasn't even acknowledged and the current Loonatics leader stormed down the hall to the main room without a word. The rest followed, all except for Chaos, Nutrix, Tech, and Rev himself. Zadavia had given them a questioning glance, but for some reason she didn't show any signs of anger anymore. Did she know something the others didn't?

~0~

Lexi sat on one of the couches, doing her best to hold back her tears. It wasn't fair. She had wanted to see Ace for so long, alive and well, but she was starting to think that everything was trying to play cruel jokes on her. First, there was Jack, someone none of the Loonatics knew but he ended up looking and acting identical to the former Loonatics leader and reminded her of him. He was a puzzle she couldn't figure out. He saved others without a thought for his own safety despite his condition, and yet later trapped himself in a burning room while having an episode. Lexi couldn't believe how horrible she had been to him by yelling unnecessarily at him. She started a fight with him which only made her feel worse about everything.

Then, Chaos, the side of Ace that had been possessed during that first mission involving the Chaos Crystal, possessed when he tried to protect his teammates almost at the cost of his life. That side of him caused Ace and the team to suffer immense emotional strain as he tried to destroy them both physically and mentally. That side of him which forced the teammates against each other and killed Ace in the end. He was alive and had been standing right in front of her. Lexi had so wanted to avenge Ace, no matter what the cost, but the truth is she had felt really glad that she was held back by Rev then Slam. She knew she would have stopped before she could really do anything to the replica of Ace as the Loonatics leader. Even if it was Ace's killer, she couldn't let herself do it in the end. She couldn't kill someone and become like the monster Chaos had once been. Lexi wasn't blind. She wasn't stupid. Even if that bunny anthro really was the same person as that psychopath who only wanted to destroy them, he wasn't the same monster he used to be. If he was, he would not have even come to the tower. And once Rev mentioned the strange condition he was in, she couldn't deny that there was something seriously wrong with him. However, the thing that stopped her angry thoughts were seeing Chaos try and pretend to be okay. Lexi had seen through him the second he did that. After all, Ace had done the same thing once. He had tried to pretend to be okay so no one would worry about him, but at the same time he did that because he had made a mistake and didn't want to give anyone a reason not to beat him up for it. Chaos was the same. Lexi knew that was definitely true.

Lexi hated to admit it, but she found herself wanting to help Chaos and Nutrix. For some reason, she could really believe they were on their side and that they really had no evil intentions towards the team. She was trusting them completely. That fact made her want to either slap herself or cry. Why did she trust them once she saw the guilt and pain on Chaos's face? Was her judgement being judged simply by how he looked? But Jack also looked like Ace and even acted like Ace, while Chaos was completely different. And yet, she had reacted to Jack more harshly and could not trust him at all. What was going on? What was wrong with her?

Nutrix had told her one tiny detail as they had boarded the ship from the hospital. That they were one and the same, that their feelings to their respective teammates were exactly the same. It was the same for everyone on the team, with only two people being exceptions to that rule. Nutrix had not said it loud enough for anyone else to hear, and she had told Lexi this very discreetly so no one noticed the exchange at all, and did not elaborate beyond that. It was very confusing the the current Loonatics leader. If she was in her right state of mind she would had given those words more thought, but Lexi was mentally drained with everything already. She hadn't even been ready to see those prism-like eyes again, eyes which had lost the malicious light in them, replaced with nothing but emptiness.

'Why was all this happening only now?!' she thought desperately to herself. She kept a calm face on the surface as Chaos and Nutrix came to the main room at last, followed by Tech and Rev. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle the situation but she planned to sit through it as much as she could manage. Hopefully, she'd have enough willpower left in her to remain in control. She had lost control yet again when she saw Chaos, and she was extremely disappointed and ashamed at herself. If she lost it one last time, she really wouldn't know what she'd do. But then again, each event that was happening was always more surprising than the last. So, what's next?

Nutrix forced Chaos down onto the couch before taking her seat next to him, both of them directly opposite Lexi and facing her. Tech sat near them, but not too close. Rev sat with Lexi and so did the rest of the Loonatics. Zadavia, however, remained standing. For a few minutes, no one said a single word. The tension was so thick one could have cut it with a knife. Finally, Lexi broke the ice.

"Okay, Nutrix, you said you'd explain. So you start." she said, making it sound more like an order than anything else. The Blue Guardian member, the human version of herself, looked up and their identical lime green eyes met. For that moment, both just stared at each other, then Nutrix closed her eyes, let out a breath she had been holding and started to tell the Loonatics and Zadavia as much as she knew.

"I've already explained this to Tech when Chaos called him out earlier tonight." she said, and some pairs of eyes turned to the coyote, who said nothing and kept looking straight at the Blue Guardians nurse. "We, the Blue Guardians, are actually all mere fragments of the Chaos Crystal. We were created, one after another, to be alternate versions of all of you here, as the last thing the crystal 'memorized', to put it simply, was all of you, before it shattered."

"Wait, you mean this 'thing' was destroyed?!" Duck exclaimed suddenly. Lexi looked over at him. The mallard looked so mad he could practically roast himself in those angry flames that almost seemed to surround him. Like everyone else, Duck never did like the crystal or Chaos. The fact that he obviously referred to the possessed side of Ace as 'this thing' proved the fact. Chaos, however, said nothing and stared at the floor. Lexi almost wanted to comfort him, but she also wanted to slap herself for the thought. She felt her frustration building and pushed it down quickly. She refused to lose control again. She was the new Loonatics leader. Losing control wouldn't help anyone. Nutrix, on the other hand, was pretty much the opposite.

"Don't call him a 'thing'!" she yelled at Duck angrily, jumping to her feet in rage. Duck mimicked her actions.

"I can call him whatever I like! This despicable 'thing' killed one of my friends!" he yelled back.

"You don't know anything! You...!" Nutrix started, but Chaos cut her off.

"Nutrix enough!" he shouted at her fiercely, but Lexi noticed something. His voice was shaking.

"Juz dun say anymore about tat and continue explainin'. Duck can call me whatever, like he said." he told her. She tried to protest but he shot her a look which definitely told her to drop the subject. Defeated, she sat back down.

"Sorry about tat." Chaos said quietly, directing the statement at Duck, who huffed and sat back down as well. Lexi noticed Zadavia flinch a little. The Loonatics boos didn't say anything though, and the Loonatics leader knew better than to question it, at that moment in time at least. Then Tech spoke up.

"Lexi, do you mind if I continue for now?" he asked, and the female bunny granted him permission. He nodded in gratitude and, ignoring Duck's 'traitor' comment which made Rev jab the mallard in the side with his elbow, carried on from where Nutrix left off.

"Based on what the two of them told me, the crystal was shattered during the first incident, when we had been sent to destroy it after it started wrecking the research labs. It was actually the energy trapped inside that possessed Ace at the time, who didn't have the protection of the Guardian Strike Sword then, unlike us." Tech winced as he recalled that day, but shook his head and continued, "But well, not all the energy was transferred to him during the possession. Some of it lingered in the fragments and somehow morphed those fragments into the Blue Guardians over time. According to Nutrix, without any host body or the core of the crystal to rely on, becoming life forms on their own was a slow process but eventually they came into being."

"So you're saying they were all simple broken pieces of the crystal in the beginning?" Zadavia questioned. All eyes turned to her standing figure, and Tech confirmed the theory was true. Nutrix did as well, with a nod of her head. Chaos did nothing though.

"Apparently, the crystal fragments formed what you could call 'fraternal copies' of us. Technically, the six Blue Guardians were modeled after us, but just not in appearance or powers." Tech added. Lexi looked thoughtful. She turned to Nutrix.

"So that was what you meant when you called me your 'other side'? And when you told me that our feelings matched one another's?" she asked the Blue Guardians nurse. Nutrix nodded, then suddenly started to fidget, as if she knew something bad would happen soon. She glanced at Chaos, who didn't return the gaze, then looked back up at the current Loonatics leader.

Slam let out a series of growls, asking for confirmation from Nutrix about how the Blue Guardians were copies of the six Loonatics. That was when Nutrix paled.

"You are...partially right..." she said softly, then even Chaos looked at her curiously.

"Nutrix...? What's wrong?" he asked. The Blue Guardians nurse didn't answer and instead took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I lied to you about this Chaos, but I couldn't tell you just yet." she told him, then stood up to tell the anxious group about something even Chaos and Tech didn't know about, apparently. "I told both Chaos and Tech that all six of the Blue Guardians were copies of you all, but that isn't the exact truth. I told you that we had two exceptions didn't I, Lexi?"

"Y-Yes, you did. Who are those exceptions?" Lexi asked in return, feeling very uneasy all of a sudden. From the looks on the others' faces, especially Tech and Chaos's, they felt the same way. Nutrix had clearly been hiding important information from all of them. This made Lexi confused. Why would she do such a thing?

"Those exceptions...are the queen, and Chaos." Nutrix stated. Chaos shot up.

"W-Wha...!? Nutrix whad'dya mean? I'm not part of da Blue Guardians! Whad'dya talkin' about?!" he demanded, though he looked shaky when he stood. For a second his body looked transparent again, but he was evidently ignoring it.

"I told you that there are six Blue Guardians. That is true. But the thing I lied about is that all of them were copies of the Loonatics. Let me explain. Among the Blue Guardians, I, the nurse, am Lexi, Veneficus, the wizard, is Tech, Bellator, the warrior, is Slam, Ardor, the flame wielder, is Duck, Rector, the guide, is Rev. And finally the sixth member of the Blue Guardians is our leader and the first one who was created. The queen, Regina, who is actually Zadavia."

"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed all at once at the Blue Guardians nurse. Chaos was staring at Nutrix with such disbelief it was definitely impossible that he had known all along. He immediately grabbed Nutrix by the shoulders and demanded to know why she didn't tell him about that. Lexi wasn't too sure why he was so agitated. As shocking as the fact was, Chaos seemed to be overreacting.

"C-Chaos! Calm down!" Nutrix yelled, but Chaos had apparently fallen into a frantic state. His prism-like eyes were wild with panic.

"Nutrix, if da sixth member is Zadavia, d'en where's Ace?! Where's da real Ace?!" he shouted and Lexi froze. What...What did he mean? Ace was dead wasn't he?

"Chaos! Just calm down and let me explain!" Nutrix shouted back as loudly as she could. Lexi jumped. Fortunately she could control her super hearing or, her ears would be in a world of pain right then. Chaos was also shocked at the Blue Guardians' nurse's outburst, and he looked like he wanted to say something else, but suddenly he let go of Nutrix and both hands flew to his chest. An expression of shock flashed across his face then it became one of pain. Nutrix's eyes widened and she yelled out Chaos's name in horror, but Lexi could tell that he didn't hear her at all. He collapsed onto the floor and started writhing in agony.

"H-Hey! W-W-W-What's-wrong-with-him?!" Rev exclaimed but no one could provide an answer while Nutrix dropped to her knees. Her hands started glowing as she placed them both on Chaos's chest, doing her best to ignore the possessed bunny's thrashing. A few seconds later, Chaos calmed down and was breathing heavily. Nutrix let out a quick sigh of relief. Chaos forced himself to sit up, and Nutrix opened her mouth to protest, but the possessed bunny stopped her.

"Nu-Nutrix...juz tell me...tat I didn't..." he tried to say, "I didn't end up..."

"No, you didn't kill him. You can sense him can't you?" Nutrix replied, a frown on her face as Chaos looked up at her properly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't want you to run off looking for him before we, I mean I, told the Loonatics the truth about Ace not being the sixth member."

"Wait, Nutrix are you saying that..." Tech started, and the Blue Guardians nurse glanced at him with a look of resignment.

"Yes...like Chaos told you, Tech, Ace is alive...and I know exactly where he is."

Instead of shocked outbursts like Lexi expected, the whole room was dead silent after Nutrix revealed that fact. Lexi was mostly surprised at herself, for not jumping at her copy to demand she tell her where the former Loonatics leader was. However, Nutrix didn't say anything related to that right then.

"Before I tell you where he is, you all need to know something." She said in response to the silence she received, "Chaos, your insanity didn't fade away that day when both you used the last of your power to change what was supposed to happen to Ace when you were supposed to be destroyed."

"What...?" Chaos said, who was just as confused as everyone else in the room. Lexi winced at Nutrix's words. She was saying that Chaos actually decided to sacrifice himself in the end to save Ace? But why? Lexi wanted to know the answer so bad, but the part about how his insanity didn't fade worried her. It sounded really ominous.

"When the first fragment was completed, the insanity that left you, well, it ended up being implanted in Regina. Her power is thus stronger than any of the rest of us Blue Guardians. That's why she commands us, that's why we must obey her or we will be destroyed. If she finds out about me here she will kill me. But that isn't the point. She's very dangerous and she knows both you and Ace are still alive. She sees you both as a threat to her plans to destroy this world, but it seems she is a far better planner than you were then. She couldn't find you, but she easily found Ace, and is still watching him as well speak. She intends to use Ace as some sort of sacrifice when the time comes in her plans, most of which are into known to her."

"A...A sacrifice...?" Chaos questioned. Nutrix nodded solemnly.

"Nutrix, now that we know this, you have to tell us." Lexi interrupted with a grave expression on her face, as her heart seemed to grow heavier with each passing second, "Where is Ace?"

Nutrix looked up at her and their gazes met again. "You've all already met him. I'm surprised you didn't realize. Now, the queen, Regina, she is watching him under the name of Sylene Shorthair. A nurse at Acme General Hospital."

The room seemed to become ten degrees colder at the very least. Sylene...was the queen of the Blue Guardians...? That clumsy, yet kind feline anthro who ran into Lexi back when Veneficus took Dr Tyson Trueman? And the patient she was in charge of was...Lexi sucked in a breath of air swiftly as she made the connection.

"From the looks on all your faces, I supposed you've figured it out." Nutrix said, closing her eyes and facing the floor, "Then I'll confirm it for you all. And you're right. Ace has lost all his memories, due to something going wrong with Chaos's power that day. Now, he's just a bunny anthro who doesn't even know his real identity and uses a name someone else gave him. In other words, the rabbit anthro you all know as Jack Rabbit is really your former leader, the real Ace Bunny."

**Well~!**

**I finally revealed a whole lot of truths. About the Blue Guardians, their queen and most importantly, Ace and Jack's connection! Wahaha! I may be going a little fast with this but I'm not one to like fanfictions which are too long...unless I'm reading them. Basically I'm a lazy author. Though, this story should be a lot longer than the prequel. Honestly I'm already doing my best to stretch everything. The part where it's revealed that Jack is Ace was supposed to come in earlier, when Chaos was explaining things to Tech alone, but I ended that one with just the fact that Ace was alive since I thought that was really way too fast to reveal it there. So it was moved here! Hope it's suitable.**

**Anyway, I think a little explanation is in order in case you got confused. Basically, Chaos used his power to save Ace and destroy himself to repay the Loonatics leader for "breaking him", as he called it, which means to pull him out of the madness. Something went wrong, then both of them ended up being alive, only Ace has no memories left and Chaos was forced into a half-existence state where his body is fading in and out and he is suffering from panic attacks like Ace in the prequel (this isn't a spoiler because this fact won't really be brought up in the story directly thought technically Chaos mentioned it when he said he was paying for what he did to Ace before). Fragments of the crystal from the very first incident (please read the prequel's first chapter) ended up being infused with the energy released from the crystal's core (now in the form of Chaos Ace) and Chaos's power at the end of it all had accidentally caused his madness to be transferred to Regina who was the first fragment to obtain a body of her own. I originally wanted the leader of the Blue Guardians to be a copy of Ace but since Chaos was already there to fill the role it became Zadavia's copy, who was actually sort of a last minute idea when I first posted chapter one of this story. Lyra was supposed to be the only nurse then, but Sylene came into my mind so...hehe...so, this list it out...**

**Crystal counterparts of everyone is basically:**

**Zadavia = Regina/Sylene Shorthair, the Queen of the Blue Guardians**

**Tech = Veneficus, the Wizard of the Blue Guardians**

**Lexi = Nutrix, the Nurse of the Blue Guardians who is on the side of the Loonatics**

**Slam = Bellator, the Warrior of the Blue Guardians (though he dressed like some medieval knight)**

**Duck = Ardor, the Flame Wielded of the Blue Guardians (his name means "heat" though, making him the only one who doesn't have his name as a direct Latin translation as his role in the group and he has only been mentioned so far without an actual appearance)**

**Rev = the Guide of the Blue Guardians (so far, no appearance and only just mentioned with good reason)**

**Ace/Jack Rabbit = Chaos, not a Blue Guardian and instead a split possessed consciousness of the original (only counterpart who looks identical to original)**

**So, in case you haven't noticed (which I think is impossible) the counterparts of the anthros are human in appearance while Regina, who is Zadavia's counterpart is an anthro since Zadavia looks human. Kinda a reverse-thing I am fond of. Well that's all for now. If anyone could've guessed any of this right you are no less than pure awesomeness as it takes a lot to understand my messed-up imaginations. Now, Xyla out! See ya!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Meh~!**

**This is kinda a short chapter, in Duck's point of view. I realize I am really pathetic at using him. But oh well. Anyway, I dedicate this chapter to the Spirit of Forgiveness, and I mean that literally, not a reader or someone on the Internet. Basically, this chapter revolves around how we should learn to forgive people no matter what, so long as the one who asks for it truly wants it and regrets their actions. Maybe it's cheesy or sappy or whatever, but this is one serious message I really want to share with the world. I mean, I've done some pretty bad things before and trust me, when those I wronged forgave me it meant more than the world to me. People will be happier if you can learn to forgive others and move on. So smile and forgive someone today! (Of course, it's also good if everyone has nothing to regret, nothing to ask for forgiveness and/or give it. I want everyone to live happily! ^^)**

**Review reply time:**

**Scourge From Bloodclan:**** You knew it? Well good for you! Hoho, you'll see the confrontation you want in due time! And wow you made some pretty good guesses regarding what MAY happen. And believe me, Regina will be putting up a fight. You all haven't seen the insane side of her yet after all!**

**Botfanatic: ****Welcome new reader! Thanks for the favourites, it is very much appreciatied!**

**NickyRockit: ****Lol to the "LE GASP". I always find that so funny! XD Yeah, your hunch was right. I really wouldn't create any OCs without them having some sort of impact to the main plot (I still have something planned for that Doctor Tyson Trueman from chapter 1 that I've ignored up until now). I'm so glad you're excited for this! And if the last chapter made you get the feels, I hope this one would too! **

**Done! Onwards to Narnia! ….Wait what did I just say?**

PART TWELVE: FORGIVENESS

"What did you just say?!" Duck couldn't help but exclaim when Nutrix revealed that bit of information. Like the rest of the entire group in the room, aside from the Blue Guardians nurse herself, on his face was nothing but a shocked and disbelieving expression.

"J-Jack...Rabbit...?" Chaos said slowly, his expression becoming slightly confused. "Who's tat? I dun rememba ya eva mentionin' someone with tat name."

"Of course I didn't tell you. You would've suspected his identity at once and rushed to confirm it. Don't even try to deny that." Nutrix snapped, and Duck honestly felt ready to grab her by that fancy indigo cloak and scream at her for everything. He was really on edge, ever since he saw Jack for the first time earlier. That guy really looked so much like Ace it was as if it really was him standing there, and suddenly Nutrix is telling them that that guess was right, and that Ace had been alive but without memories the whole time? That was just despicable! However, Tech beat him to yelling at her.

"Are you trying to fool us Nutrix?!" He growled angrily, making a lot of those in the room jump, "Jack can't possibly be Ace! I've analyzed both their DNA and they don't match! No matter what happens DNA is one thing that can't be changed!"

There was silence in the room as Nutrix's eyes widened. "What?! That isn't possible. Jack is definitely Ace! Even if I do hate that queen of mine and say that she is completely crazy and doing the whole thing in the long term there is one thing I can guarantee and that is that she wouldn't make such a mistake!"

"Then would you like me to show you the scans?! The DNA is different! Even if they do look identical they have to be different people!" The coyote yelled, then suspicious eyes were focused on the Blue Guardians nurse. Things were looking bad for her. Then, Chaos spoke up.

"No...wait...Tech, I think Nutrix is right." He said, and Tech looked at him with resentment, but the possessed bunny didn't back down, "Rememba when I foist possessed Ace? He was on da verge of death d'en and I had ta use my powa ta make sure he stayed alive so I had a host. Tat must've altered his DNA a little, and you took some samples back d'en didn't ya?"

Tech' eyes widened. He looked thoughtful, then he seemed to have finally remembered something. "Yes...I remember scanning Ace and found his DNA to have been changed by a bit. That was what got me suspecting something was wrong early."

"Did ya make sure ya compared da right DNA samples? Ya could've accidentally taken d'ose records, and right now, Ace is back in his real body, without my powa affectin' it. Tat should mean his DNA is back ta normal too." Chaos questioned, looking a little unsure and shaky himself despite how calmly he was explaining things.

"I...I see..." The coyote said, calming down just a bit. Duck could easily see his discomfort though. Hey, the mallard wasn't stupid. He wasn't as oblivious to others' feelings as he always seemed. He actually did that on purpose before and that wasn't going to change. It wasn't that he didn't care. He just didn't want to show any weakness, which had gotten him into trouble many times before, and besides, he never did like sugar-coating the situations they faced. It was better to directly face things wasn't it? (He learned that the hard way...after the Stomper incident...)

Chaos started coughing right after that conversation. He was coughing pretty violently, and Nutrix panicked again. To Duck's surprise, Rev zoomed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and offered it to the possessed bunny. His body was fading in and out of existence again, but he was solid enough to take the glass. He thanked the roadrunner for it after his coughing settled a little and took a quick sip. He took several shallow breaths before he finally seemed to recover.

"Okay I have had it!" Duck exclaimed right then, making a few of them jump, "What the heck is wrong with you?! First you cause a whole lot of trouble for us two months ago, then suddenly you show up with some girlfriend who's part of our current enemy group, expect us to trust you then freak out after your girlfriend reveals something to all of us, something she had been apparently hiding from even you which makes trusting you two difficult, then you pull some weird act where you look like you'd disappear any second?! That's utterly despicable! Give us some real answers instead of whatever drama you two are playing at!"

"She ain't my goilfriend Duck!" Chaos snapped, then, seeming to realize what he had just said, he smacked himself in the face, which was slightly red, "Great, looks like some bits of Ace's poisonality is still d'ere...Anyway I'm gonna give ya answas soon so juz stop complainin'!"

Everyone but Nutrix, who just sighed with an embarrassed and exasperated expression on her face, blinked at Chaos's reaction, which made him seems less like the prism-eyed maniac out for destruction and more like the team's old leader. It wasn't helping the situation and it looked like it was about to make things worse had the Blue Guardians nurse not stepped in.

"I apologize for not warning anyone beforehand..." she said, as the tense atmosphere in the room evaporated evidently, "but Chaos tends to revert to an almost Ace-like personality after a more serious episode..."

"That's not surprising I suppose," Zadavia commented, a hand at her head as if she was trying to fight off a headache, "Ace was like that under his possession, every time he had a panic attack he would fall unconscious and when he woke up he would be his usual self without any memory of the attack."

"Exactly..." Nutrix said, but honestly, Duck did not care about all that at all. In fact, he felt his anger rising and had to fight to control it.

"ARGH WHATEVER!" he exclaimed, "Look here buster, I don't care about your problems or anything! All I wanna know is what the heck is wrong with you and where the heck Ace is! Just give us those stupid answers already or you'll be facing Danger Duck's wrath!"

Lexi brain-blasted him and the mallard jumped more than his own height in the air. Normally someone would've laughed or at least grinned in amusement at that, but the current Loonatics leader's face held such a serious look it was simply an inappropriate thing to do even though it was once completely natural among them all. It was really too much. And the one who caused all that was in the room trying to make them all trust him, but Duck doubted he could do so. He was really, truly enraged, something that didn't come easily for him. Duck honestly wanted to hurt Chaos as much as he hurt the entire team, Ace included. However, it was clear that no one really agreed with him right then, at least, not on the outside.

"Duck, shut that beak of yours. We've already decided to listen to them, and until their done, no hostilities." Lexi ordered sternly. Nutrix gave her a grateful look, but it was ignored. Duck grumbled a little, but didn't argue. He had honestly been very surprised with Lexi's self-control. Since she had always been the one closest to Ace, he had expected her to flip out the most. She did, to an extent, but something definitely changed her mind pretty quickly and made her willing to sit still for the Ace replica and his companion. Despite that, the mallard was completely unwilling to stay in the room any longer. There was only so much drama he could take. He sighed and excused himself, and fortunately no one tried to stop him, though Rev seemed slightly jittery and ended up following him after telling the others something. He caught up to Duck in the hall.

"You-okay-there-Duck-you-really-look-pretty..." Rev started to say, but Duck clamped his hand down on the roadrunner's beak. He was particularly annoyed with Rev, who was the only one out of them all who had shown not even the slightest trance of rage or resentment towards the two strangers in the HQ tower. He didn't understand why Rev didn't bear any grudge towards Chaos. Seriously, why didn't he? How could he not hate someone who killed their leader?

"Rev, what's with you? How can you stand that 'thing'!" Duck snapped, and the younger bird flinched at his harsh tone, though Duck wasn't sure if he cared about that or not, he just needed to vent his frustrations or they'd eat him up inside. "He killed Ace! And you went and helped him so easily?!"

Rev looked stunned for a second. He opened his mouth, or beak, whatever, to say something but he closed it before any words came out of it. He looked away, a thoughtful, yet slightly troubled expression on his face, then he let out a sigh before he slumped to the ground. He looked up at Duck.

"Look-Duck-I-know-all-of-you-hate-him-but-I-just-c an't-hate-him-because-even-though-he's-crazy-and-e vil-and-tried-to-kill-us-all-and-destroy-the-city- I-just-always-thought-of-him-as-Ace-under-control- of-something-I-never-thought-of-them-as-separate-b eings-until-now..." he slowed to a stop and a guilty look appeared in his eyes, "...besides...I-just-don't-want-to-blame-him-for-e verything-the-one-to-blame-should-be-Deuce-since-h e-was-the-one-who-brought-the-crystal-here-and-tha t-time-during-the-last-fight-I...I...I stabbed Ace..."

The roadrunner hugged his knees and buried his face in them as the both of them recalled that time. Duck remembered how shocked he had been so see Ace, the team leader, someone he had always considered a bit of a rival, stabbed right through with a sword held by Rev. He had known about the crazy plan the bunny had come up with before they reached the destroyed research facility, but the truth is, he had been really, really scared when he saw that. He had been hoping and hoping that they would not have to resort to the plan, but they did, with some adjustment, the worst possible one. He had prepared himself to see Chaos stab Ace at most, to end up seeing Rev, one of his teammates, being in the place of the possessed bunny was something that nearly made him lose it. Chaos had been trying to break them all apart and for a split second then, it seemed to have worked. Duck had been terrified that Ace would not survive despite several reassurances from the bunny and he really looked dead then. That was what made Duck hate Chaos. He never hated Chaos before that happened. Like Rev he had wanted to believe that Chaos was still Ace and didn't want to hate him, but he had gone too far by controlling Rev. However, Duck had never really thought about how Rev had felt about that time. He wanted someone to slap him hard in the face right there and then. How had he forgotten the feelings of his junior so easily? And for two whole months, Rev had been the one who tried to cheer up the rest alongside him. Yet the hyperactive member of the group was sobbing, wrecked with guilt from that incident. Had he really been hiding that all along? Duck felt his anger towards the roadrunner for helping Chaos subside.

"Hey, Rev, buddy, you okay?" he asked, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on Rev's shoulder. The roadrunner glanced at it, then looked up at the mallard with eyes that were filled with remorse and regret.

"No...I'm-not-okay-I-mean-I-stabbed-Ace-back-then- and-even-though-I-know-it-wasn't-really-my-fault-I -just..." Rev sighed, his speech slowing down as he continued talking. "I think...I think I don't hate that evil version of Ace cuz I know how it felt to be controlled...and especially now that he seems...you know, normal...I'm really not sure if I can dislike him...I know he did cause Ace to die but...I'm thinking...maybe he was controlled by something before too...? Once you're under control like that it hard to break free...I guess Ace got really lucky...if you know what I mean...it took me a lot of shock and horror at what I've done to shake me out...and it made me wonder...when I saw that guy's face...his eyes filled with guilt...well...could he have been unable to control himself as well...?"

Duck wasn't sure how to respond. He never realized how guilty the roadrunner had been. And despite being the youngest of them, Rev was probably the wisest one in that situation. Not only did he not hate Chaos, but he could sympathize with the possessed bunny. Duck had seen the look of utter regret on Chaos's face. That he could not deny. However, his anger and hate towards the possessed side of Ace had clouded his better judgement and made him overlook the possibility Rev suggested. The mallard sighed, disappointed in himself.

"You really feel that way, don't you?" Duck asked Rev, who nodded. The mallard sighed. "Jeez...I'm...I'm sorry buddy. I didn't mean to make you feel bad..."

Rev shook his head. "No no, it wasn't your fault...I just...I wanna give him a chance...and now...I can...I guess, I really want to know that these things can be forgiven...if the person honestly, truly regrets it..."

"You're a real piece of work aren't you?" Duck commented and Rev looked at him with a slightly annoyed look. "What?"

"You're-not-insulting-me-are-you-Duck?"

"What?! No! How can you think that?! You're despicable!"

"Just-kidding-just-kidding." Rev said with a hint of a smile. Duck smiled too, his anger faded completely. Jeez, he could be a real sucker for his friends. They both stood up and Rev asked the mallard if he was alright to go back to the rest...and Chaos. Duck thought about it for a moment, he truly did. He considered what he and Rev just talked about, then sighed in defeat.

"Okay okay, but if I try something funny you better stop me." he groaned. Rev smiled properly and they headed back.

"Hey Duck?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

**Aw~!**

**I just love bonding Duck and Rev. I know they're not the best of friends but I really like to see the two of them have a close, brotherly-like relationship. Could be because they're both bird-species. :P And of course I made Rev the only one who could forgive Chaos, I mean I can never imagine him hating anyone! Why'd you think I made him be the one who stabbed Ace in the prequel? I feel bad for tormenting the little guy though, I find Rev the cutest of them all.**

**Sadly, however, I really think that I can't capture Duck's personality right. Every time I write from his point of view something seems off. I suck at egoistic characters. In any case, just a little note, since I barely touched Slam even once, the next chapter will involve his point of view. Look forward to it! Xyla out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Meh~**

**I apologize for making the chapter short but honestly I'm having somewhat of a writer's block here. I want to write a whole lot but if I do that I'd be moving too fast but it isn't easy to drag things out even a little either. So I'm sorry but you'll all have to deal with shorter chapters for now. Also, right now a lot of the stuff is pretty sappy so you people who didn't read this for all that may be disappointed, but this story is only rated K+ and I'm not particularly good with action scenes…*sigh* this is really going to be a difficult phase in the story to write…and my reborn obsession with Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is not helping as I really want to write a cross-over fic for them but am resisting until I am done with this since I can't focus on two stories at once and I'm afraid I will end up abandoning this story if I start writing that now. I don't wanna abandon this story I love it! (But I am someone who tends to think of the worst case scenario for EVERYTHING so…)**

**Ahem, sorry for going off-topic (as usual). So basically, for at least the next few chapters updates will be slower…please forgive me. Anyway onwards to the review replies and then the chapter.**

**Review Reply time:**

**YiPrincess:**** Yi-senpai! How are you?! I missed you so much! Oh dear the haze was AWFUL! My mom was so paranoid about it I couldn't leave my house without a mask and since we didn't own any I was confined inside my house for a week! I didn't like it at all! The only thing good about it was that it cancelled lessons during the holidays but I would've rather had a few lessons than be cooped up in the house like a mad Otaku all week long (I know I call myself an otaku, but in all honestly it's a serious insult in Japan and that's how I'm using it here…). But still, no Internet?! OMG nooooooooooo! If I didn't have Internet while I was trapped at home I would've died…partly due to my obsession with watching Yu-Gi-Oh! recently…Anyway congrats on guessing right! Aw come on you know I love plot twists! And actually the name Sylene Shorthair does have some meaning to it. 'Sylene' sounds similar to 'Selene', who's a friend who helped me finalize her character so I gave her the name in honour of that friend! As for the 'Shorthair' part, well there is a breed of cat called the British Shorthair which looks bluish in colour, and that was meant to be a hint that she was part of the Blue Guardians all along actually! But no one guessed it! How sad! But well, I suppose it was one difficult hint, since most of mine are pretty simple to figure out…Aw don't hate me! **** I feel sad now! And I actually love Chaos Ace as a character and I do believe in forgiving anyone who truly feels bad for what they've done so I HAD to make him like that. Well I've always wondered what it would be like if there were human versions of the Loonatics and an anthro version of Zadavia so I decided to use fanfiction as an excuse to try it out. Can't do it for Ace here though…I've never really thought of Zadavia as anything but a wolf-like creature, but in the end the cat fit the image more as cats have amazing independence and so does Zadavia. Besides the Shorthair hint only fit with cats and cats are my favourite animal too. I can't wait to write about Jack! Maybe the next chapter of the chapter after, but first someone else is doing it.**

**NickyRockit:**** I know! I don't hate Duck despite not liking ego-maniacs much, in fact I quite like him and I know he isn't all full of himself so I thought I'd show a more sensitive side of him, though it isn't easy to do without making him too OOC…sorry about that! ^^;**

**Crescental:**** Aw thanks! For the new review, follow and favourite! Welcome to a new reader YAY! Hehe, I love cute moments. And yeah, I view Rev as the most innocent of the group and while I can see all the others hating someone, I can only picture Rev as angry, not hateful. He's just too cute! OMG your opinion of Duck is exactly the same as mine, only I wouldn't use 'sweetheart' to describe him. Well enjoy reading on!**

**Done. Moving on…**

PART THIRTEEN: TEAMS

Slam sat at one end of the couch as he watched Chaos out of the corner of his eye. He really wasn't sure what to think of the replica of Ace, and he wasn't sure what to think of that Blue Guardians member with him. So far, he had met two of them, not including Nutrix. Both of them had been hostile. Veneficus, who was apparently a counterpart of Tech, seemed to be a cruel soul, considering how threatening he acted when they experienced him in the hospital where everything really started for them all. The other, Slam's own counterpart, Bellator, had been a fierce opponent and completely serious about wanting to kill them all, though he clearly had some sort of warrior pride, as he seemed to respect his opponent and retreated when his weapon was destroyed.

Nutrix was different. She was a really a lot like Lexi, down to the close relationship with Chaos, who she just revealed was the crystal counterpart for Ace in truth. She, however, unlike Lexi, wasn't shy about admitting that she was in love with the replica, so Slam guessed that there were some differences aside from the apparent species swap. He hated to admit it, but his copy, Bellator, was a little freaky. What kind of person would wear armor, blue armor no less, in that day and age anyway? Well, actually, after some thought Slam realized that all the Blue Guardians he had met wore blue medieval-style clothing, aside from Regina as Sylene. Bellator wore knight's armor, Veneficus had been wearing light armor, a weird mask and what looked similar to mystic robes in those medieval fantasy books, and Nutrix was dressed in a hunter's cloak and a robe similar to priestess robes. Was that their queen's 'brilliant' idea or something?!

Slam shook his head. He was thinking too much into the subject. It was irrelevant anyway, even if it did make him extremely curious. He glanced over at Nutrix by Chaos's side, ensuring he was okay and then glanced over at Lexi who was staring out the window from her seat. She had decided not to carry on their discussion unless the two birds of the group, literally speaking, returned. The female bunny was extremely confident that they would. And sure enough, they did. Duck looker a lot calmer but Rev had a bit of a misty look on his eyes. Slam wondered what they talked about, but said nothing. He didn't want to pry. Rev and Duck weren't too similar but one thing they had in common, aside from both being of the feathered species, was that they both preferred it when others waited for them to talk about their problems instead of having to answer to someone demanding to know it.

"Duck, feeling better now?" Lexi asked, and the mallard shrugged.

"Did you know I'd come back?" He asked.

"Pretty much, since it was Rev who went after you." The female bunny answered. Then she gestured for them to join the rest. Chaos had recovered from his attack and was watching all of them with an unreadable expression on his face. Nutrix looked a little worried when Duck glanced at the two of them, but to Slam's surprise the mallard sighed and said nothing as he sat back down next to Rev. Once more, only Zadavia remained standing.

"Alright, would you like to continue Nutrix?" The Loonatics boss said. Chaos looked at his companion and she nodded. She turned her attention back to Lexi.

"I apologize for causing the trouble. But anyway, I'll tell you all I know now, for real." She said, "Our queen, Regina, started off by having us rob banks and the like for investigation purposes. Unlike me and the others, Regina has the ability to appear as a normal anthro citizen, who you all know as the nurse Sylene Shorthair. She needed the money to appear as normal as she could possibly manage, at least, that's we've been told. To be honest though I still don't understand why that was even necessary. She never did tell us much about that part. But later, she ordered us to steal from the research facility, as she needed nuclear energy to complete her 'project'. We, unfortunately don't know what it is. All we know is that she wants this city to be sacrificed for it."

"'Sacrificed'?" Zadavia said, "What exactly do you mean, and why don't you all know my counterpart's plans?"

"When we were created, in case you didn't notice, we were mostly traits from olden times. Even our names are just words from an ancient language. You know, back in those days when humans still believed in witchcraft and stuff like that."

Slam growled, trying to say "So that's why you're all dressed funny."

Nutrix clearly understood him because she shot him a glare of someone who felt greatly insulted. He held up his hands in surrender to silently apologize. Jeez, she was definitely the other side of Lexi. After holding the glare for another few seconds, the Blue Guardians nurse turned back to the current Loonatics leader, continuing her explanations.

"Anyway, Regina treats this whole project as a ritual of some sort and says that upon its activation this city and everyone in it needs to be totally destroyed. She sent Bellator to destroy you all first because she knew you all would try and stop her if you learned about all this. She also ordered Veneficus to kidnap Tyson Trueman to help her with some details she doesn't understand, though she isn't merciful at all. Trueman's pretty strong though, even after he was tortured considerably he refused to give in and eventually Veneficus had to control him."

Uncomfortable looks were seen all around the room. Tech frowned, being the one who really disliked being controlled by someone else. Slam didn't blame him. When that stupid skunk tried to use him for his stupid wrestling match which almost cost him his life, well, let's just say he was really, really annoyed with it all. Nutrix glanced around the room, then continued.

"I really have no idea why Regina would want to do all this, her purpose is unknown to us. For one thing, she ended up getting Chaos's insanity, and she doesn't trust us, so she is extremely unpredictable." -Chaos bit his lip a little at her mention of the insanity, but said nothing- "In fact, she even has a separate base for herself. I only know where my base is, not hers, unfortunately. Although I know where her civilian house is..."

"Well she is pretty similar to the boss lady in terms of being secretive I guess..." Duck commented, making it obvious that he was feeling a lot better. Lexi punched him for the comment as Zadavia groaned just a little. For some reason, when they did so, Chaos looked like he wanted to jump out the window or something. Slam honestly wasn't sure if he would mind if he did though...maybe...

"So anyway Nutrix, care to explain to us about your teammates? Even if you do only resent Regina, I doubt your friends are particularly nice..." Tech said, and Nutrix sighed.

"Unfortunately you're right." she said, then explained to everyone about her teammates. She started with Veneficus, Tech's counterpart, since she was considered his partner as they were both technically 'magic' users. Veneficus was a pretty sadistic person and would easily eliminate someone if he felt it was convenient, though he wasn't one to mindlessly look for trouble when he didn't have to. He was apparently a bit of an idealist and hated it when others criticized him. His powers were mostly that of telekinesis and he possessed the ability to restore destroyed objects, though he didn't like it much.

Next was Ardor, Duck's counterpart. Unlike Duck, he wasn't egoistic and was actually quite quiet (Slam couldn't imagine Duck like that...). However, he pretty much loved to play with fire, literally, and burn things to the ground. His powers were, ironically, pyrokinesis, though he also had a similar ability to Duck's quacking, which was teleportation.

After that was Bellator, Slam's own counterpart. The Tasmanian Devil was pretty anxious to know what that guy was like. He had so far been the only one who had actually fought with his counterpart and couldn't deny the fact that he was strong and resilient. Nutrix explained that he was the most ruthless when it came to battle but unlike the first two tended to respect his opponents and often gives weaker ones the chance to flee before he initiates battle unless he had been ordered to eliminate the target, such as in Lexi's unfortunate case. The current Loonatics leader scowled at that. His powers were super strength and he had some degree of gravity control like Massive, and he was also good at combat even without his powers. Slam started complaining a bit. That guy didn't use gravity control during their fight at all! Was he holding back?! Rev told the big guy to calm down and fortunately he did, though it was by folding his arms across his chest and grumbling something to himself.

Finally was Rev's counterpart, Rector, who was the only one who hadn't made any move towards anything yet. He was the only one who was completely unknown to the Loonatics. Sure, Ardor hadn't appeared before them yet either but Nutrix said she was sure it was him who started the fire at Acme General Hospital and caused Jack...Ace, to almost die in them. Nutrix told them that it had probably been an order for the mallard's counterpart to do so and she believed the target was indeed Ace. No one felt comfy about that.

Anyway, Rector was the hyperactive one in their group, much like Rev. However, Nutrix said that he hardly ever treats anything seriously no matter what it is, instead preferring to treat everything as a game. He was apparently extremely unpredictable. His powers were similar to Rev's GPS ability, as he possessed a sort of tracking power, which also allowed him to target his opponents easily before launching an attack using his aerokinesis.

"...and my own powers are mostly healing and protection. I also possess the ability to create copies of myself, which is how I can avoid letting the others know about my absence." Nutrix concluded as she let out a breath after having said so much. Chaos made no comment, but he looked almost irritated, for whatever reason Slam didn't know, but he definitely looked slightly irritated despite also looking guilty, if that was even possible. He also still looked worn out from his episode, which was understandable. It was a pretty violent attack. Slam, despite greatly disliking the replica of Ace, couldn't help but feel sorry for him for that, just a little. It had to be extremely agonizing for something like that to happen often to someone.

"Alright, now that we know all this, what can you expect?" Zadavia asked, and Nutrix stood.

"For now, I have to return to my base. The copies of myself can only last for a certain amount of time, and that time's almost up. I'll work as your spy for now and alert you at once when something comes up so can you possibly tell me how I can contact you?" The Blue Guardians nurse asked, and Tech stood and handed her a ring, which could only just fit onto her pinkie finger.

"Just tap the jewel on the ring to send us an alert and we'll be the ones to contact you. I've installed a cloaking device in it, so your teammates wouldn't see it, just in case." The coyote told her and she smiled, thanking him for it. Chaos stood up as well, but to Slam and everyone else's surprise, Lexi spoke up.

"Wait, while Nutrix is with her team, you can stay here with us." She said, and Chaos's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to say something but Lexi cut him off, "No arguments. You're still weak and injured. So you can stay in the medical room to recover, seeing as you can't go with Nutrix anyway."

"But...but I..." Chaos tried to say, but then Lexi turned to face the rest and Zadavia.

"Any objections?" She asked them, and though Slam wanted to object, he could see it in Lexi's eyes. She didn't want him staying with them either, yet she was silently pleading them to allow it. So he said nothing. Neither did the rest of the guys. Only Zadavia made any comment.

"Well, it would be good to keep an eye on him this way." She said, folding her arms across her chest, "He can stay."

Rev was the only one who smiled at that. Everyone else had unreadable expressions while Nutrix and Chaos looked stunned. However the Blue Guardians nurse recovered quickly. "I'll leave him to you then."

She pulled on her hood and headed out the door. Chaos just stood there, clearly in a dilemma on what to do. After a minute Rev offered to guide him to the medical room and he went without protest, glancing at Lexi with a slightly grateful expression on his face. He and the roadrunner disappeared into the hall and Zadavia turned to Tech.

"I assume you made sure she couldn't spy on us with her ring?" She asked the coyote, who nodded.

"Don't worry. No matter what, any adjustments made to that ring would send a distress signal to us, and we'd know if she tries to betray us." Tech said. Lexi however, looked surprised.

"Tech...you're quite prepared despite everything..." She commented, and the coyote glanced at her with unsure eyes.

"Well I can't say the same for you Lexi." He responded, and the current Loonatics leader flinched, "Why did you want him to stay? He has his own hideout. And I thought you hated him."

"I do, I do hate him." Lexi replied slowly, as if she was choosing her words extremely carefully, "I don't know why, but for some reason, I want to give him another chance."

"Why?! That guy was the cause of the chief's death!" Tech growled, and Slam was getting ready to jump in and stop the right before it could escalate, but then...

"Don't you think I know that?!" Lexi snapped, looking almost as if she would cry again but didn't. She looked at the ground, shaking a little. "It's just that...I've been losing it so much every time I think of Ace, so much that...that I even yelled at him...even though I didn't recognize him...and now that I know he's alive...I don't know...I just think...if Ace was still with us right now, he would've wanted to give that guy a chance too wouldn't he...? Ace was...is...just that kinda guy after all..."

Tech couldn't respond to that. The coyote bit his lip and looked away from Lexi. Slam looked at both of them and wondered what to do. He was always just the one at the side who wasn't sure what to do when his friends were arguing or upset with each other. He always thought it was because of the language barrier between them all. Sure, the Loonatics and Zadavia all understood him just fine, but he was never one to hold a conversation for long anyway. Slam had to admit, most of his thoughts were either food or sleep related. When they weren't, it was video games , wrestling and crime fighting. Hardly anything else. Normally, he was perfectly content with it, as it made him feel like everything was secure and that life was good and simple without complications and worries other than the crime fighting. Looking at the scene before him, he just felt like a simpleton who couldn't do anything to help his friends. No way, he couldn't stand being just that.

Slam stood and growled at both Tech and Lexi, telling them that they shouldn't argue or be upset over the decision when it was already done. He told them that for now everyone should trust Lexi's decision, because she was right. Knowing Ace, he would have wanted to give even Chaos a second chance. Lexi smiled gratefully at him and thanked him. Slam returned the smile, glad to have been able to help out even if just a little. Duck and Zadavia also smiled, and Tech let out a sigh of defeat.

"You're right Slam...the chief would've wanted that. So we'll trust Lexi too, since she is the chief now. We'll help them stop the Blue Guardians, rescue Dr Trueman, then...we'll go get Ace back and become a team again." He said, finally smiling just a little.

Duck held out his hand. "Loonatics, right?"

Three other hands were placed over his. A fourth, Rev's, as he he sped out from the hall after hearing the conversation, was placed on top of them as well, the roadrunner wearing a slightly joyful expression on his face, mostly directed at Duck. With Zadavia's hand, the stack was complete, excluding Ace's.

"I'm proud of all of you." Zadavia said, smiling warmly, "When we get Ace back, let's all go back to how it was before okay?"

Slam beamed. 'Go back to how it was before'...he couldn't wait for the day when that happened. They were all so happy, even if only for mere moments, they failed to hear the strange knocking they had heard before they left for the hospital that night, coming faintly from behind Ace's closed room door.

**Sigh…**

**I'm really no good at Slam I hardly ever know what's he's thinking in that big head of his. All I know is that he's a giant plushie to me! I really wanna hug the big guy…assuming he doesn't bite my head off for calling him a simpleton, but I really didn't know how else to describe it I'M SORRY SLAM! (;;;;;;;;;o;;;;;;;;;)**

**The chapter ended on a weird note didn't it, I hope none of you forgot about the weird sounds in the tower because they play a pretty big role in the story later on. Well that's all for now. See you! Xyla out!**


	14. Chapter 14

**OH.**

**MY.**

**GOD.**

**I'M LATE BY MORE THAN A MONTH AND A HALF?! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

**I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY (X 1000000000000000)! Oh my goodness I never expected the delay to be so long when I started cramming for exams…I know it may be considered early to cram for me but I'm a failing student and in all honesty I don't feel like dying during my end-of-years. But halfway through I got a little more hooked onto some childhood anime than I expected and this happened. I'm not even sure if Yu-Gi-OH! was to blame this time. I already re-watched the series (GX series included) before I started my crazy cramming. Could have been the re-surfaced addition to Pokemon Emerald…my classmates discovered something called a GBA Emulator and now more than half of them are playing it. I'm the only girl in class playing it and it's weird because I'm one of the fastest…(though I am a little confused with some names and move-names since I've only ever played it before in Japanese and the ROM is in English…and well, hardly any of the names match…)**

**OH DARN STOP RAMBLING XYLA AND GET ON WITH IT! **

**Argh you guys didn't come here to read about my pathetic excuses for excuses! So I'm gonna shut it right here, not counting the review replies (though today I'll just give the shortest replies I've got) and move on!**

**Review replies:**

**NickyRockit: First of all I apologize for the longest delay ever and hope that you will still follow this story. Thanks for your comment, though I still think I didn't do too well with Slam's chapter. I'll be doing a few more in the future, but I don't expect much from them. I hope you'll enjoy those too, when they arrive, that is!**

**YiPrincess: Ah! Yi-senpai! I'm so sorry for the stupid delay! Please don't hate me! ,., I've experienced both writer's and artist's block, though I don't draw much since I'm not good at it. Aw, sad you hear you won't be a reader, but that's okay. I won't force you and if you can't understand it it's pointless anyway. Though Yu-Gi-OH! does count as a monster anime, just, monsters in cards which become almost real… :/ Yes, the Yu-Gi-OH! dubs were awful. Actually I found a lot of the subbed episodes on a site called DailyMotion (mostly GX episodes) and Veoh, though I'm not sure if they work as I watched mine RAW…Hmm…I've never heard Funimation dubs. I don't watch much anime in English. Oh! I'd love to see your art! I'm happy you feel that way when reading my work! Well, I like cats more. I like dogs too, but they tend to jump me for whatever reason and ever since a Golden Retriever knocked me into a swimming pool…er…I stay cautious around them…I think forgiveness is a great thing. It's better to forgive and forget than to carry the burden of a grudge your whole life. I'm speaking from experience. (And hoping you'd forgive me for being late). Actually, I did consider making Zadavia's counterpart a wolf, but with Tech, a coyote, there already, I went with a cat as a wolf and coyote are pretty similar. Besides, the Shorthair name fit more. I'm glad you liked the Slam bit, but dear me he was hard to use! Because he never properly spoke I never could tell what his personality was like in full detail like the rest! I really felt like I messed up on him so I'm grateful for positive feedback! And yes I will be doing more of his point of view but not too sure when. By the way, what's with the "*shot*" thing? I don't understand it much and yet I see it online a lot. Hopefully my updates will be faster, though I'm not sure. Oh yeah, Yi-senpai, good luck for your N-levels! All the best! And wow your reviews are really long! Replying to them is a sure hassle!**

**Done! Now…**

PART FOURTEEN: FRUSTRATIONS

Chaos was leaning against the wall as he sat on the bed in the medical room, hugging his knees to his chest, a pathetic position of self-pity and defeat. However, he didn't care about that at all. In fact, the only thing on his mind was how the Loonatics have been reacting to him. For two whole months, he had avoided them despite knowing that the threat of the Blue Guardians were coming. For most of those two months, he had been alone in the world, an existence without a meaning or a purpose. He had tried to find Ace, but found out, mostly by coincidence, that his previous host hadn't been with the Loonatics, and that all treated the absence as if it was already "normal", as in, they weren't panicked or anything like that. That could only mean that Ace really wasn't with them, that he had "died". But Chaos knew that wasn't the case. He knew he had made sure Ace would stay alive in the world, in exchange for destroying himself. Sure, he hadn't been destroyed, but he knew that that was only a matter of time. But he had been horrified about everything nonetheless. If Ace wasn't with his teammates, where was he?

Chaos didn't dare ask the Loonatics. He wanted to, but believed it to be a futile attempt. They all hated him, they had to, right? That was why he tried to search for Ace instead, hoping he could find the only host who had been able to break him, break his madness. He hoped that in doing so, he would be able to redeem himself. Along the way, he tried to find out as much as he could about the Blue Guardians, since he knew that they would launch an attack sooner or later. He hadn't known why he knew until he met Nutrix and had her tell him the details, though most of the truth was only revealed to him a short while ago, along with the Loonatics. He hadn't expected that the Blue Guardians were actually formed because of him, his energy to be exact. Nor did he expect Ace to have completely lost his memory and somehow become a target to the Blue Guardians. All of it was simply too confusing.

Chaos just didn't get it all. What was the reason for him to be so scared the face the Loonatics? Why did the Blue Guardians have to come into existence? Why did Lexi tell him to stay?

...why was he still even in existence...?

He should've died back then. He should've died when Ace had been ready to kill him, at the cost of his own life, in order to protect everyone and everything around him. Ace should've killed him. He should've let Ace perform the task. But no, in the end, he chose to use his power, which had become unstable after he regained his sanity after so long. He hadn't realized. His insanity had been what was stabilizing all that power he held. Without it he couldn't control his power like he used to. Whatever happened, it resulted in Ace losing his memories and kept Chaos alive. He shouldn't have been alive. Not after all that. Chaos was extremely sad, guilty, ashamed, angry...all those negative emotions were eating him up. Why did it become lime that? He wanted to save Ace, who had freed him from the cage of madness he had been sealed up in for so long. Without Ace, he would've never regained himself. And yet...

"It's...all my fault...I dun...I dun desoive ta live..." He muttered, then he cringed. He hated the fact that "his" voice sounded like that. He hated looking in anything that could show his reflection, as his prism-like eyes didn't belong on that body. All of that, the voice, the accent, the appearance, nothing belonged to him. All of it was Ace's. He was a pathetic copy, that was all. He wasn't supposed to exist. He didn't deserve to even pretend to be "alive". He was the consciousness of a colourful rock, nothing more.

Suddenly he heard Rev's voice in his head. The roadrunner's words, which were actually said to him earlier, sounded distant but serious, spoken slowly, very unlike how the youngest member of the Loonatics normally spoke.

_"You know I don't hate you right?"_

Those words had been a shock to Chaos, and he was extremely astonished. They had been walking to the medical room together after Lexi allowed him to stay, and when those words were said, just as the two reached the door of the medical room, everything seemed to stop still for the replica of Ace. He asked Rev what he meant, but the roadrunner only shrugged and made his question into a statement.

_"I don't hate you."_

Four powerful words. Four syllables of pure sincerity. Chaos was dumbfounded and unable to speak. Rev then told him to hurry and rest while he needed to return to the others, not explaining himself at all. Chaos had tried to call him back but his voice, no Ace's voice, had refused to work right when he wanted it to. In the end he entered the medical room himself and lay on the bed, but it hadn't taken him long to realize that there was just no way he could sleep so he just decided to sit up and think about things, which was how he ended up in the position of someone who was extremely depressed and confused.

Chaos had no idea Rev didn't hate him. Sure, the roadrunner was the only one to get him water when he coughed and actually seemed to care for him, but Chaos hadn't thought that the desert bird wouldn't hate him. It had just seemed so natural and right for them all to hate him for those long two months he lived through with his own sanity. And even right as he thought that, that still felt right. Rev not hating him felt...wrong...but Chaos couldn't help but feel just slightly relieved. No! He shouldn't be relieved! Rev shouldn't not hate him! Not after all he's done! How could Rev not hate him?! It didn't make sense, especially since he was sure the roadrunner had the most reason to hate him. He had attacked him as well as his family members on top of destroying their home. In fact they wouldn't even be alive had Ace not interfered with his malicious plans before. He had come this close to killing off Rev's entire family and yet the roadrunner didn't hate him?! Why?! It wasn't right!

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Chaos exclaimed and he turned to punch the wall. Fortunately his energy levels were too low for him to release any of his power when he did that, so the wall didn't shatter on impact. Perhaps that was an exaggeration of what may have happened but with his instability there was really no way of saying that nothing would've happened for sure. He shook his head and clutched it with his hands. He had to calm down. Another episode right there would probably cause trouble for not only him but the Loonatics as well.

"Stop...dun...dun say ya dun hate me...I...I juz dun desoive it...!" Chaos was actually sobbing as a few tears escaped his eyes. The guilt had finally become too much. He became like a lost child crying for his mommy. He wished Nutrix was with him. She had been the only person he ever really opened up to about his conflicted feelings. Maybe it was because of the fact that she was created because of his power, or maybe it was due to the fact that she 'loved' him. No, it wasn't really love. Chaos knew that much. The 'love' she felt for him was merely a reflection of Lexi's relationship with Ace, which was more 'special' than the rest's.

No...it wasn't right. Nothing was right. Chaos knew he was getting way too depressed, and at the moment it wouldn't help anyone. But really, the pain was getting more and more unbearable. He really needed someone by his side.

Suddenly he heard something. It was a soft knocking. It seemed like it came from the door to the medical room. He called, quietly, for whoever it was knocking to just come in, but the knocking just didn't stop. It got a little louder, like suddenly whoever it was out there was getting anxious or impatient. Chaos felt a chill run down his spine.

Following the knocking came the sound of something shifting. It sounded like someone was just shifting in the position he or she was standing in. The knocking continued, but after a while the shifting sound stopped.

"H-Hey...who's d'ere...?" Chaos asked, but the only response he got was more knocking. It started to fade, then the sound of footsteps came, like the person outside was pacing back and forth in front of the door. After a while Chaos couldn't take it anymore and practically flew towards the door. He opened it swiftly, and to his surprise there was no one there. He became just slightly frantic, looking around for the source of whatever it was was causing those sounds. It may be an intruder or something. It was near sunrise but the HQ tower was still plenty dark and the Loonatics should all be still resting up after all.

He heard the shifting footsteps again, slowly heading down the hall. He wondered if he should follow them, but in the end decided against it. If he did so, it would appear suspicious to the Loonatics. He wouldn't be able to explain his intentions and they would believe that he was betraying the little trust they gave him, more so if it turned out that there was no intruder and he was just hearing things due to his depression. As much as he believed that the trust he got was something he didn't deserve, he knew he couldn't afford to lose it there. He needed the Loonatics if he wanted to beat the Blue Guardians and bring Ace back. So he turned to go back to his assigned bed, that is, until Lexi materialized in front of him.

"What are you doing out of bed?" She asked coldly. Chaos jumped, not expecting to see her at all. At once he was sure she would accuse him of trying to sneak around, but she didn't. Instead she asked him a simple question.

"What did you hear?"

Chaos was baffled. How had she known he heard something? "What...?"

"Answer me." Lexi demanded, "What did you hear?"

Chaos decided that arguing or playing dumb would be a bad idea. He chose to just give her what she wanted. "Er...I hoid...somethin' like knockin'...and weird footsteps...juz outside dis door..."

Lexi's eyes widened and the coldness in them faded a little. She nodded, then grabbed his arm. "Then follow me."

He didn't really have a choice in the matter as the female bunny just pulled him along.

Before long they got to the hall that connected most of the rooms of the Loonatics, and all the other anthros and Zadavia were there as well. Chaos couldn't help feeling nervous at the oppression due to being outnumbered. Rev gave him a subtle, comforting grin, but while the gesture was appreciated it didn't really help the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. However, more than anything he was confused. Why would they all gather there in the middle of the night?

Then, he heard it. The knocking returned. Chaos jumped at the sudden sound. It was coming from Ace's room.

"Wha...What da heck is tat?" Chaos couldn't help but ask. The Loonatics and Zadavia all looked uncomfortable. Then Lexi spoke.

"It's something we really don't understand." She said vaguely. "It's been happening ever since that day two months ago." - Chaos felt really bad at the mention of that day - "We told Zadavia about it earlier. It happens very often, though not all the time. We would hear sounds like scratching and knocking, and sometimes something like something being dropped or, like what you heard, footsteps. It always comes from...Ace's room...Normally it just happens once in the middle of the night, but now...it's early morning..."

Chaos carefully took in every word she said. He bit his lower lip and glanced at the closed door to the former Loonatics leader's room. The knocking was still there, slowly and rhythmically like the tick-tock sound of an antique clock from over 700 years ago. He looked over at Lexi.

"Can...Can I go in...?" He asked cautiously. The current Loonatics leader eyed him suspiciously, but nodded her head. No one else protested either and Chaos noticed Rev give him another comforting look accompanied by a thumbs-up. He nodded at the roadrunner, using just a little of his power to send a soft "thank you" to him through telepathy. Rev jumped a little, telling Chaos he received the message and got surprised by it in the process. Then Chaos approached the door. After a split second of hesitation he pushed it open, flipping the light switch on as he stepped inside.

The knocking didn't stop.

The Loonatics were obviously surprised, as Chaos could feel the emotion radiating off them. They evidently didn't expect the knocking to continue. Chaos looked around the room, after realizing that the knocking wasn't on the door or the walls. Instead, it seemed to be coming from one of the drawers of Ace's bedside table. Raising an eyebrow, he shifted closet to it and when he did, he could swear there was a soft glowing, multi-coloured like his own prism-like eyes, coming from the top drawer, but it faded right as he saw it.

Without much thought he reached for the drawer, a sudden need to open it almost overwhelming him. He barely noticed the fact that he was holding his breath as he pulled the drawer open. To his surprise, inside was nothing more than a simple, sealed envelop. He picked it up, and when he did, his mind was filled with visions.

He saw Ace, happy and smiling as the Loonatics leader, having fun with his teammates, his friends. He saw how they all fought together during their missions despite some minor disputes and disagreements. He saw the day Ace and the rest went to the research facility to try and destroy him as the Chaos Crystal for the first time. He saw the fight he had with Ace when the former Loonatics leader separated them into two. He saw the final moment before he tried to destroy himself and save Ace, the final moment before everything truly went wrong. Last of all, he saw Ace writing something down on simple paper in black ink, then sealing it into an envelop and placing it carefully into his drawer before leaving his room. Chaos heard nothing as he saw all this, that is, until that very last image with Ace leaving the room. Ace's voice rang loud and clear in his head.

_"Wonda if d'ey'll eva even find tat..."_

With that, Chaos snapped back into reality. He gasped, blinked a few times, then looked around the room. He glanced down at the envelop. Ace had written whatever was inside. He obviously left it for his friends. Perhaps it had been the source of all those strange sounds. Maybe somehow, there still had been some of his power left in Ace's fake body after he split them up, and while he wrote the letter some of it was transferred into his writing. It sounded like some fantasy, but Chaos knew that with his power, practically anything was possible. He turned to the Loonatics and Zadavia, who were all still at the doorway, watching him intently. He walked straight up to Lexi.

"I t'ink Ace must've left dis fer ya." He said, handing the envelop over. The female bunny's eyes widened in surprise, as did the rest's. "I found it in his draw'a. Guess ya neva checked d'ere huh?"

After saying that and placing the envelop into Lexi's hands, Chaos excused himself and made his way back to the medical room, his conflicted feelings still hanging over him like a dark cloud that wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

~X~

Jack slowly opened his eyes. The light in the room blinded him, as his electric blue eyes haven't had the chance to adjust to them yet. He shut them again and put his arm over them as he tried to remember what happened before he lost consciousness. He couldn't remember a thing aside from the fire earlier. He felt like there was something significant that he should be remembering, but there was no memory of whatever happened after he went nuts and ran away from Lyra after saving the nurse. It was extremely frustrating.

The rabbit anthro cautiously lifted his arm a little and opened one of his eyes slightly. The light didn't seem as bright anymore and he allowed himself to open them both fully. He blinked a few times as his vision cleared and saw the familiar white ceiling of one of the hospital wards. It wasn't his own, since that one crashed and burned, literally, but the new room he was assigned to looked pretty similar. Not that he liked his old room, or his new one at that.

Jack really did hate the hospital, which felt more like a prison to him. But without his memories, what could he do about it? Where could be possibly go? The answers were simply nothing and nowhere. Jack sighed.

"What's da point of dis all anyway...?" He asked no one in particular. No one was in the room aside from him anyway. He rolled to his side on the bed, staring out the window near his bed. One glance was all it took for him to realize that it was thick glass sitting there. Good choice of room, Jack supposed. If he went hysterical again at least he wouldn't jump out the window and fall to his death on cold, hard concrete. Not that he would've cared. He was really starting to just get sick of his life in the hospital without any recollection of his life up until that moment. He was beginning to get desperate to know what his life used to be like. It was killing him inside not knowing.

"Why am I still here...I shoulda died in tat fire..." Jack said to himself quietly, putting his arm back over his eyes in hopes of blocking out the offending light which reminded him of the life he was currently being forced to live.

"You're here because you're supposed to be here." A sudden voice said. Jack jumped and saw both Lyra and Sylene next to his bed, Lyra supporting herself on a single crutch. Strange, he didn't hear them enter, but then again, he had been seriously lost in thought and had a tendency to block out anything that wasn't the same topic as whatever it was he was thinking about.

"Ah, Lyra, Sylene...didn't see ya d'ere." He said with a nervous laugh. Lyra sighed as Sylene just fidgetted with her sleeves like she usually did.

"Jack, you should stop being so down all the time." Lyra said, "You deserve to be alive as much as everyone else. And if it wasn't for you I would've died. So stop beating yourself up."

"Oh yeah...how're yer injuries Lyra?" Jack asked. The senior nurse sat down beside him on the bed, placing her crutch against it as Sylene took a seat on a chair nearby.

"I'll live, thanks to you." The senior nurse said. Jack sighed at the praise. Lyra really wasn't going to let him forget he saved her. Of course, he didn't regret doing so, but the frustration and pain he felt at being unable to remember what happened to him after that was preventing him from feeling any pride whatsoever.

"Hey...Lyra...?" Jack asked quietly after a while.

"Yes?" Lyra replied, looking up at him. Jack bit his lip, feeling like a little child who was scared of the dark or something.

"Do ya t'ink I'll eva be able ta rememba my life...from before...?" He asked her, glancing over at her with pleading electric blue eyes. Lyra's eyebrows raised slightly, in a sad way rather than surprised though.

"I honestly don't know Jack." She told him honestly, "I want to tell you that you definitely will remember and be able to go back to living your own life outside the hospital. But as you know, the doctors still have not found the cause of your memory loss or your panic attacks. It really may be a while before things look up."

Jack sighed, expecting such an answer. "Yer really too honest, ya know tat?"

"You asked for it when you first came." Lyra replied, "You told me not to lie to you when you asked something, regardless of what it was."

"Did I...? Oh yeah...guess I did...I fergot." Jack said. The two of them shared a smile, though Jack's was weak. He then looked over to where Sylene was sitting. As usual something seemed off about the cat anthro but he wasn't going to be mean to someone who helped take care of him.

"Sylene...ya wanna join da conversation?" He offered. The cat anthro jerked up with surprise all over her face. Jack raised an eyebrow. Was asking her that really so weird? Then he noticed that Lyra was looking at him curiously too.

"That's new." She commented after a second of silence. Jack blinked and was about to ask her what she meant, but she answered the question even before she heard it. "Normally, you'd only chat with me and never ask anyone else to join in, no matter who it was, even if it was Sylene."

Jack's eyes widened. Really? He didn't know that. But then again, what did he know, or rather, remember? Bits and pieces of his memory always just came and went. He couldn't remember anything from his past and his mind was so jumbled he could never be sure of what he remembered and forgot, of what had occurred and what didn't. But to think that, even though he was never exactly comfortable around anyone except Lyra and found Sylene especially…_difficult_ to be around, he had ignored the cat anthro? She was also one of those in charge of taking care of him and had shown nothing but kindness towards him no matter what. He hadn't realized how cruel and ungrateful he seemed to have been to her.

"I…I dun rememba tat…" he admitted softly, glancing down for a moment before looking back up at the junior nurse, "I'm sorry Sylene…I neva meant ta…"

"No no, it's fine." Sylene said quickly in a bit of a flustered tone, shaking her hands in front of her, "I don't mind just sitting here! Thank you for considering me this time but it's really okay. I like watching you and Lyra chat anyway. It makes me pretty glad to see you being energetic."

"…Are ya sure…? Ya can juz join in any time. Besides, I shouldn't be unfair ta someone who has ta take care of me right?" Jack told her. She sighed and her cats ears drooped a little.

"You're too kind Jack. But really, I'm fine. I'm not too good with conversations anyway…I get too…er…edgy…I guess." She told him with a nervous smile, and Lyra laughed a little.

"Are you sure? You seem downright frantic most of the time." The senior nurse commented and Sylene blushed with embarrassment. Jack didn't laugh, but he grinned. As much as he hated the hospital, at least his nurses made him feel better most of the time. He didn't know what he would do if Lyra wasn't there, and even though Sylene made him uncomfortable for whatever reason, he knew he needed her as well. Who knows, he may have already lost himself if not for them.

"A-Anyway, Jack, how are your own injuries…? You really gave me a scare when you fainted earlier at the rooftop." Sylene asked, effectively changing the subject, but when she said that Jack felt confused and his frustrations returned.

'Rooftop'? When did he go to the rooftop?

"Whadd'ya mean Sylene…? I dun rememba goin' d'ere…" Jack said, slowly, and the two nurses looked at each other worriedly.

"Jack, how much do remember this time?" Lyra asked, and Jack sighed, his suspicions of losing more pieces of his memory confirmed, before he told her that he only remembered running away from Lyra after saving her from the fire. The senior nurse looked sad, then started to tell him what had occurred, or rather, what she was sure had occurred. When she finished, Jack's jaw was hanging open. It wasn't from shock or disbelief, he was just a little…overwhelmed…perhaps? He had met the Loonatics, and ended up fighting with Lexi Bunny, but he couldn't remember any of it?

"Oh come on!" Jack yelled in complete frustration as he threw himself back onto the bed and covered his head with the pillow like a spoiled brat who didn't want to face the world. He heard a faint squeak from Sylene when he did that, but nothing from Lyra, as expected. The senior nurse probably guessed that he would do something like that.

"Are ya kiddin' me?! I met dis city's supa-heroes and lost my cool in front of d'em?! Argh!" he exclaimed, not entirely sure why he was even acting like that. Even if he did adopt a more childish personality while in the hospital despite his (assumed) age, what he was currently doing was really out of character.

"Jack…? Did you hit your head really hard or something?" Lyra joked. Jack pulled himself off the pillow and frowned at her.

"How am I suppose ta know tat?!" he questioned, causing Lyra to roll her eyes.

"Jack, you're acting like a two-year-old." She commented, and Jack flinched. Ouch, that stung. He pouted and turned away, though he did catch Lyra's amused smile from the corner of his eye.

"Jeez Lyra…ya dun hold back at all huh…?" Jack said after a while.

"No, I don't." Lyra answered bluntly, causing Jack to pout again and Sylene to giggle slightly, "But I am surprised. I thought you'd be more upset about what happened. Don't think that I am unaware of your interest in them Jack."

Jack was silent for a moment, already knowing who the senior nurse was referring to. Wow, Lyra was like a really observant (or really nosy) mother or older sister to him alright. He didn't think anyone knew about how curious he was about the Loonatics. He had snuck out of the hospital to read up on them for goodness's sake, and he never really talked about them when he was still within the white walls of the medical building. So…

"Wait, how'd ya know about all tat…?" Jack asked, slightly afraid of the answer. As expected, Lyra stared at him for a moment before she casually told him she had been stalking him. Jack stared at her until she admitted she was kidding (It was pretty obvious, but Jack did not expect her to say that).

"Let's just say you talk in your sleep." Lyra explained vaguely before continuing, "Anyway, I have to say I'm really curious to see that your only reaction to what happened resembles that of a kid who missed the last episode of some superhero show."

Jack felt as if a giant boulder had just crashed onto his head, killing any bit of pride he had left. Sylene was giggling almost uncontrollably at the side while Lyra sat there waiting for an answer, cool as a cucumber.

"I…I dun know…" Jack finally said, becoming a little more serious, "I juz…I guess I've wanted ta meet d'em, cuz it seems like d'ey may have somethin' ta do with my past, but…I…I really dun know…I could be imagining thin's fer all I know…"

Lyra fell silent, and Jack noticed her eying him carefully, like she knew something he didn't. Then, a gentle smile appeared on her face and she reached out and patted his head, making him jump.

"H-Hey! Lyra! Ya know I hate it when ya do tat!" he exclaimed in annoyance. Lyra laughed.

"Well, too bad. You really should act your age."

"I'm not even sure what my age is!"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. Just be patient."

Jack could tell. Lyra was definitely hiding something from him. The knowing smile on her face told him that. They were close enough for him to know how she acted already. However, it was clear that it was something she wished she could share but couldn't for some reason. As much as Jack wanted to question her about it, he knew he couldn't. Even if he did ask, he wouldn't get an answer. Lyra was someone who never kept secrets unless she felt that she had a proper reason to. Nothing else would satisfy her in that sense. Jack sighed yet again.

"I'll try…I guess…but tat pattin' my head thin's still really annoyin'." He told her. Lyra laughed and Sylene giggled as she watched. Then Lyra glanced at the clock.

"Oh look at that, it's almost dawn." She commented, then stood up, supporting herself on the crutch carefully as the cat anthro nurse went to help her, "Due to my injuries the hospital has given me a few days' leave, so I will be going now. You've had a pretty eventful night Jack, you should get some sleep."

"Yeah…if I can, tat is…" Jack said with a bit of disappointment in his tone. He doubted he would be able to sleep. He never could do that very well in the day. Sometimes he wished he had enough patience to just sit around and meditate or something for a short period of time, but unfortunately, he wasn't that good with waiting.

"Sylene, I'll leave the rest to you okay? Make sure he takes his medications later." Lyra said before she left, and suddenly an unsettled feeling formed in Jack's chest.

"Bye Jack, I'll visit you tomorrow okay?" Lyra said, and Jack nodded, though he really didn't want to see her leave. However, he didn't protest because he felt that he shouldn't allow her to push herself for his sake, with her injuries and all. So he went with it.

Lyra exited the room, Sylene following to see her out, then the rabbit anthro was left alone in his room. He laid back and tried to get himself to relax, but the instant he closed his eyes, he saw an image of Lexi Bunny's face, looking hurt and angry at the same time, and he gasped. Was that, was that a memory of what had happened after the fire? When he argued with her? Jack let out a frustrated groan and threw his pillow over his face. When he did, he heard a barely audible 'thud', and curiously lifted the pillow slightly. Then he came face-to-face with someone he had never seen before. Someone dressed in blue.

**Alright.**

**Just so you know, this may or may not be my last chapter with Lyra. She's the only OC I actually care about but she is only a side character. Whether she'll come back at least one last time will depend on how I write the later chapters out. And as for Dr Trueman, you'll see that guy who appeared in chapter one soon, but first, someone else needs to make an appearance. This person's been hidden long enough. Now I just have to worry about getting the next chapter out soon enough. Thanks and final apologies. Xyla out!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning.**

**Depressing chapter up ahead. And just so you know the next one will be pretty depressing too. I'm glad I got this up a little earlier, makes things easier for me. I still can't believe how long it took me to update last time. Yeesh. **

**I really don't have much to say right now, due to me being a little mentally drained. I didn't get any sleep last night for some stupid reason and I had to sit for a two-hour surprise mathematics test after school. I like mathematics but that was nuts. I'm pretty sure I only got the algebra questions right…I pretty much "bombed" everything else. **

**By the way, in case you guys are wondering, I did write that Ace wrote a letter for the rest in the prequel, but I didn't describe the details as I jumped to someone else's viewpoint there. **

**Anyway enough about that, just moving on to the review replies and I'll be done. Oh man, another one of Yi-senpai's looooooooong reviews to reply…(just joking I really don't mind XD)**

**Review replies:**

**Scourge From BloodClan: Aw thanks! I'm sorry I didn't get to update for so long for the previous chapter. Glad you're still following! Greatly appreciated!**

**YiPrincess: Haha don't worry I love to write a lot too. In fact I have to write at least one essay or short story a day or I'll go mad. I'm not even joking. And OH YES! I LOVE THAT MANGA! I HAVE EVERY SINGLE BOOK! In Japanese…and I left them all in Kyoto because they were too heavy to take all at once. **** Haha I'm glad you love the Chaos Crystal so much. I honestly didn't think that much about it when I first started writing about it but it escalated to the whole thing you're reading now and in the prequel. XD And actually the letter is not affected by the power, but that's all I'll tell you. I'll let Chaos Ace explain in a later chapter. Oh so that's the "*shot*" fiasco (did I spell that right?). But hey, I know what the "*" means at least! . Well I don't watch English dubs much for obvious reasons, if you know me that is, and before you mentioned Funimation, I only knew 4Kids and that was because a lot of people were complaining about it on Yu-Gi-Oh! fansites/videos/forums etc. I love voice acting, I actually did it for my friend's animation and it was one of the best things ever! I do like dogs, I just like cats more. The Golden Retriever that knocked me into the pool belonged to my friend's neighbour who lived in the same condo as both of us, and was a lovely boy, his name was Aurum (Latin for "gold") and he was the cutest dog ever. Sadly he died last year…*cries* Stupid bicycle! I'm never riding one of your kind! Silky terriers are cute, but I prefer the larger dogs, though I go mad with kitties. I especially love Singapuras and Siamese cats. I have a Singapura cat at home and she loves to distract me from writing sometimes! Okay I will check out your pictures, but I won't be commenting since I don't have an account because my drawings just plain suck. :P I haven't heard of that manga, sorry, so I won't get any links to it…meh…Speaking of Kinokuniya, that is my ultimate favourite bookstore ever. It has manga and lots of the English fiction I love. Every time I go there I buy a lot and my dad scolds me…^_^;**

**Done! Now let's move on!**

PART FIFTEEN: LETTERS TO THE LOONATICS (PART I)

"W-Woah! Who da heck are ya?!" Jack exclaimed when he noticed the person in blue. He jumped up, backing away to the back of his bed, so that he found himself pressed against the wall. The person in blue, someone with red hair and startling green eyes, raised an eyebrow.

"Aw, am I really that scary?" He asked in a surprising playful tone, which sounded sincere yet sarcastic at the same time. Jack blinked, scanning him. His clothes were weird. He looked like he was wearing something like a mix between what a monk and medieval archer would wear. The cloak, almost shimmering in two different shades of blue, was the flashiest part of his outfit. Apparently the person noticed Jack's confusion at his attire, as he glanced down, looked back up at Jack with a teasing grin and said, "How do I look?" in a light and carefree tone. Jack mentally questioned no one in particular if this guy was for real.

"Seriously who da heck are ya?" Jack said, slightly calmer but not dropping his guard for a second. The person in blue laughed.

"Name's Rector buddy," he introduced himself, "I'm the Guide of the Blue Guardians!"

Jack raised an eyebrow. 'Blue Guardians'? What was the weirdo in front of him talking about? Then he, by some miracle, managed to recall seeing a news report on TV once before, about how the police were trying to catch a bunch of thieves dressed in blue. This Rector guy wasn't part of them was he?

To Jack's bewilderment, Rector then said, "If you've been watching the news you'd probably have heard of my group before? We were pretty notorious as thieves."

Jack wasn't sure if he should run or punch the redhead right at that second. The guy was clearly a little nuts. In any case Jack didn't feel the least possible bit of comfort around him. He didn't know why, but he felt threatened, and for some reason he just knew that Rector and his friends weren't merely thieves. They were more than that, much much more, but how Jack knew that he didn't understand. Wait, could they...somehow...be linked to his past?

As the question made itself clear in his head, Jack found himself spiraling into a abyss of thoughts. What if this Rector guy did have some link to his past? Did that mean that he was a thief or something as well? Or a victim of one of their crimes, which may have been more than simple robbery? Many possibilities were listed in his mind, and he found most of them considerably unpleasant. He didn't want to know he was actually a bad guy, but if he wasn't, well, what could have happened to him that was bad enough to make him lose his memory completely? It had to have been bad.

Rector seemed to notice his discomfort, because he suddenly chuckled and told the rabbit anthro to relax. He promised that he wasn't there to hurt him or anything. Instead, he was simply there to play the role of his namesake, the "Guide". Jack didn't understand, and it must have shown on his face as Rector laughed again and sat at the foot of the bed, bouncing a little with apparent excitement. Jeez was this guy even a little serious?

"So anyway," Rector said, "Right now my group is planning something really big and our dear queen wants you to be a big part of it all."

His emphasis on the word "big" didn't help the unease Jack felt, but at the same time the rabbit anthro found that Rector didn't seem as menacing or whatever as he thought. But, the, er, "queen" of his group wanted him for something? What for? He asked.

At once Rector frowned, and then put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Listen buddy, if you want me to tell you that, I'm gonna have to tell you your past. Or at least how to get your memories back." The redhead asked, and Jack's eyes widened considerably.

"M-My past...? A-Are ya...are ya kiddin' me...?" He asked, unable, or maybe unwilling, to believe the words of the Blue Guardians guide. After all, after two months of being almost completely trapped in Acme General Hospital without his memories, someone was just gonna tell him who he really was just like that? It didn't feel real.

"Why would I be kidding you?" Rector retorted, looking a little displeased at the disbelief. He sighed, then said, "Just hear me out. I'm the "Guide" in more ways than one. I was given spiritual powers, unlike the rest in my group, on top of being given my current superpowers. And those spiritual powers are the reason behind me choosing to be here. The queen's plans are wrong, and I have to help prevent them. And to do that, you need to get your memories back."

"Huh? Whadd'ya mean? How are my memories connected ta any of ya anyway?" Jack asked, confused. Nothing Rector said made much sense to him, and he wanted to just get his answers quick. But obviously, Rector wasn't going to be the one giving it to him.

"I can't be the one who tells you this Jack," the redhead said, "but I can tell you how to truly get those memories back. However, you have to be sure you're ready to get them back. If you aren't, you must not go. It will be too dangerous."

"Look doc, are ya sure ya dun belong in the crazy zone of dis hospital?" Jack asked, then wished he could slap himself. Why did he say that? He had a possible lead to his past, and he just went and insulted him like that. Rector, however, didn't look too offended. In fact, he looked just surprised for a second, then amused.

"Alright wise guy, do you want to know or not? Because like it or not, you will have to get your memories back at some point, but those memories may either lead to the destruction of the city...or its rescue. It depends on you...and one other person." Rector told him. Jack raised an eyebrow, internally relieved that the redhead wasn't angry. He felt unease when the destruction of the city was mentioned, but curiosity took over instead.

"Why is it me? Why not juz dis otha person ya mentioned? And of da city's on danger shouldn't ya be askin' da Loonatics or somethin'?" He asked.

Rector then smiled in a knowing way, reminding Jack of the smile Lyra gave him not too long ago.

"Believe it or not, you're linked to both the Loonatics and us, in more ways that you know. But details will have to wait, because I don't have much time left. The queen will be returning soon, and I have to be back. So Jack, do you want to know? Do you think you're ready?" He asked.

Jack thought about it for a second. Did he want to know? Yes, he did. However, he couldn't help but feel that there was a lot more to what Rector was telling him. Something important seemed to be missing, and whether it was good or bad, Jack didn't know. Was he ready to risk that and try to believe Rector? If it meant finally being able to leave the hospital and going back to his own life?

"Y-Yeah...I t'ink I'm ready..." Jack said after a long silence, "Please tell me what ta do."

~0~

Zadavia watched as Lexi held the envelope in her hands tenderly, as if it would turn into ashes and get blown away by some phantom wind at any second. It was a letter addressed to the Loonatics, from Ace, from that day two months ago. It was the last thing he left for them, but they hadn't found it until Chaos showed it to them. The loonatics boss never realized the true extent of the loss of Ace until that very moment. They all had been too afraid to even go into his room, save for Lexi, but she obviously never touched anything while inside, or she wouldve found the letter ages ago.

"Well Lexi, will you open it?" Zadavia asked, flinching slightly at the instability in her own voice. The current Loonatics leader stiffened and turned to meet her emerald eyes. Zadavia wasn't surprised to see anxiety, confusion, as well as hope in her lime green ones. After all, she was feeling all those emotions herself.

Lexi fingered the sealed opening flap of the envelope. It was glued on tight. Zadavia wondered where Ace even got the thing. As far as she knew, no one used them anymore. It was all video messages now, complete with holograms and the like. For Ace to use pen, paper and an envelope, well, he must have really wanted the last thing he left behind to be special. That was just like him.

Zadavia really wasn't as close to Ace as the rest were, after all, she was closest to Tech and their relationship was still hardly anything more than that of borderline friends, but she was close enough with the group to know their characters well. Ace was always the one who looked out for the team the most, and the Loonatics boss could see that he didn't only do it because he was the leader, even if the rest didn't seem to notice. It wouldn't be unusual of him to go all out to do something special for the team with the envelope.

Lexi fidgetted with the seal of the envelope again. She glanced at her teammates and Zadavia, who all gave her encouraging nods. She needed the push to open the envelope and see Ace's last words to them before he "died". Besides, Zadavia knew the rest all wanted to know, badly, what was inside. She had to admit, so did she.

Finally the current Loonatics leader gently tore open the envelope, and pulled out the folded papers inside. There were seven pages, though there did not seem to be too many words on each of them. Zadavia guessed that Ace wrote a page for each of them, and one extra for all of them together. She was exactly right as Lexi started to read out the first page. The words were written in clear English, so of course they didn't have the accent of Ace's voice, but Zadavia felt like she could hear the bunny's voice, in his accent, as she listened to Lexi reading the letter.

_'I think this is my eleventh attempt at this letter already.'_

"Wow he must've really wanted this thing to be prefect didn't he...?" Duck commented, probably in an attempt to lighten the mood, but no one reprimanded him for the interruption as they could all hear the shakiness in his tone. Lexi ignored him completely as she continued to read.

_'Honestly, I never expected I'd be dying so quickly. Wish I could've lived until my old years, and I mean really old years, before I kicked the bucket. Well anyway, I didn't really get to plan this will of mine very much, so please forgive me if this seems really stupid.'_

"Oh it's stupid alright..." Lexi mumbled, much to everyone's surprise, but she appeared to be trying to hold back tears as she gulped and continued from where she stopped.

_'Okay okay I'll get serious. Well, I don't have much to say really, since I'm pretty sure I'll tell you guys how I really feel about all this when we talk about this crazy plan I have in mind later,' -everyone in the room, except Zadavia, who hadn't been there for their planning when they headed towards the last fight, cringed at the memory of whatever the plan had been - 'but just in case, I've decided to write it all down. But at the same time, I have to admit, I'm not sure if I even want you guys to find this letter I'm about to write out.'_

Slam made a growling noise that sounded vaguely like

"Why not?" but Tech snapped at him with his name just enough to shut him up as Lexi carried on further.

_'I know you're all gonna be sad when I'm gone. Believe me, I don't want this to be happening either. I said it before, I don't wanna die guys. But also like I said before, we have to do it, or the other me will definitely destroy the city and that can kill all of us. I can't let that happen. I'd rather die alone than let everyone else die alongside me.'_

_'I don't want you guys to see this because I don't want you guys to feel sadder than you need to after I die. But at the same time, if I don't write this, if I don't let everything out, I may not be able to go through with all this myself. The truth is I'm scared guys. I'm scared of leaving, disappearing for good. I'm scared that you guys will one day forget me completely, even though I don't think you will. If it were me in any of your shoes, I'd never forget, so I know you guys are the same. But even so, I guess my fear of dying is really getting to me. It's real unfair isn't it, after all we've been through, I'm actually gonna die. It's not like I didn't see it coming when I first became a superhero, I mean it is one of the risks were have to take, but this soon? It's only been, what, almost two years since we started out? And yet I'm gonna die already? It's just not fair, but I guess that's life.'_

_'Still, no matter what I can't say I've ever had a better almost-two years in my entire life. Before the Loonatics, I was just some stunt-bunny getting beaten up all the time by those crazy props those screwy directors like to use. Man, those things hurt. But I really did mean everything when I said I couldn't have asked for a better team, and of course I'm talking about all of you and Zadavia. Believe me, we had some bumps along the way when we first met, but it all worked out and I've never been happier than I was as your leader.'_

_'Honestly, this letter is actually the last one out of the seven I wrote, one for each of you guys. Please read those individually on your own. But I put this one as the first as I thought that this one would be the most meaningful, it had to be, since it took me eleven tries to get here. I needed to tell you guys this stuff all at once, because if I write it over and over in your individual letters I'd just break myself, so I hope you don't mind me squeezing all the stuff in here.'_

_'That's pretty much all I really had to say for the letter, but I guess there is something else I have to ask. I know it's gonna be hard, but I hope that you guys can forgive the other me. You may not understand it guys, but whether or not all this is my fault, I'm still the one who has to take responsibility for it. Because the other me, well, he's both me and not me, but the part of him that is me, it's saying it wants to stop too. I don't get how I know that, but I just do. So please don't hate him. I don't want to cause you guys more sadness and agony by being the reason you may end up hating something and suffering from it afterwards. Thanks for the Loonatics guys. Goodbye.'_

By the time Lexi finished reading the remainder of the letter, she and the others were all in tears. Slam made a huge show of it, crying loudly like a baby, and Duck didn't even try to pretend he wasn't crying. Tech and Rev both had their eyes shut tight as they cried, both of them with their hands on each other's shoulder, to support each other through it. Lexi didn't really show much reaction, she just stood there and let the tears fall from her eyes freely, not making any move to even slow them down. As for Zadavia, she wasn't surprised to find her eyes wet. She hardly ever cried, but even she could not hold the tears back.

Everyone stood there, all crying for a while, taking everything in. Ace's last letter to them, his last words before they left for the fight that ended his life. Well, almost. Almost ended his life. But it was filling them all with too much emotion to handle on their own all at once.

After a minute or two, the crying finally decided to calm down. Lexi gulped, then she sniffed slightly. She wiped her eyes with her forearm. She folded the main letter again and slipped it back into the envelope. Then, she distributed the remaining six to her teammates and Zadavia. It was easy to see which letter belonged to who, as Ace had made sure to label them before he put them into the envelope.

"Don't read it now." Lexi said softly, "Read it when you guys get to your rooms."

"Yeah…Ace did specifically write these for each of us only right?" Tech agreed. The rest nodded, and it wasn't long before everyone dispersed, again, and headed back to their rooms. All except for Zadavia and Lexi. The Loonatics boss wiped away the last traces of her tears, then placed a comforting hand on the female bunny's shoulder.

"Lexi, how are you feeling?" she asked, even though she was aware of at least the main thing the female bunny was feeling. Lexi shrugged.

"I don't know…" she answered, "Sad? Touched? Empty? Borderline depressed?"

"I see, me too." Zadavia admitted truthfully. She sighed as she glanced at her folded piece of paper. "We've had to deal with a troublesome night. We should give ourselves a break this morning and have a look at these as well."

Lexi nodded. "Yeah…so, I guess I'll be seeing you later Zadavia."

"Alright." Was all the Loonatics boss had to say. Lexi then left for her room, and Zadavia headed back to the medical room, with curiosity, slight excitement, and anxiety tormenting her as she mentally prepared herself to read the contents of her letter. To think Ace thought of her as the same as his teammates. Really, sometimes, he was just too loyal.

**So!**

**How was that? The next chapter will feature all the letters to everyone Ace wrote to, so for those who need action you will be bored. Speaking of action I need to make an action-chapter soon. Oh and Rector is not really on the Loonatics side, he's just against Regina's plans, which I have yet to reveal, because aside from being the "Guide" he's also like the saint of his group, who can see very clearly he difference between right and wrong. Got that from Rev's kind personality! ^^ So I'll see you soon! Xyla out!**


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